Punch Drunk Love: ‘Smashed’ has a heavy-handed approach to addressing alcoholism

It’s often the case that film festival favorites don’t live up to the hype. A case in point is James Ponsoldt’s Smashed, a movie that won the “U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing” at this year’s Sundance Festival. The film portends to provide a no-holds-barred look an alcoholic couple (Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul) that can’t kick the habit. But the characters are flat and the plot underdeveloped, making the movie a bit of a chore to watch.

In the opening scene, Kate (Winstead) is so hung over that she wretches in the middle of teaching an elementary school class. When the kids start to ask questions about what is wrong, she lies and says that she is pregnant. Of course, the school principal (Megan Mullally) finds out and congratulates her, making an awkward situation even more awkward.

Soon thereafter Kate decides she needs to quit drinking and enlists the help of a fellow teacher (Nick Offerman) to help her join Alcoholics Anonymous and discover sobriety. She initially embraces the concept but when her husband Charlie (Paul) has trouble adjusting to her new lifestyle, she slips back into the drinking. The interaction between Kate and Charlie is minimal, however, and that dynamic isn’t fully explored. They seem to lead nearly separate lives, so it’s a bit strange that Kate’s newfound sobriety would even cause a stir.

While the subject matter is certainly significant, the film really struggles to put together a compelling narrative. And, though Winstead and Paul both turn in solid performances, until the film’s final scene, there’s not much chemistry between them.