Smashed
Rated: R
Genre: Drama
Street Date: March 12, 2013
Available On: DVD and Blu-ray

The Film: Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Charlie (Aaron Paul) were a perfect couple as long as they had plenty of alcohol to blur away the distance that exists between them. When Kate, aided by a co-worker, decides to go sober she finds her marriage falling apart as she strives to put her life back together.

The Extras: Commentary with Director James Ponsoldt and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Deleted Scenes, Toronto Film Festival Red Carpet and Q&A and Making-Of featurette

Recommendation: Mary Elizabeth Winstead has always been an amiable actress, but up until “Smashed” the majority of her roles had been in genre films like “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” “Final Destination 3” and “Death Proof.” With “Smashed” Winstead proves that she is perfectly capable of portraying complex characters with depth. The film itself is quite good and well deserving of the buzz that started at the Sundance Film Festival and built up to its peak at the Toronto Film Festival a few months later. It’s not quite as devastating as the similarly themed “Blue Valentine,” but it is an effective examination of addiction and relationships built upon numbness, rather than love. If you’re a fan of independent cinema or interested in seeing a young artist on the verge of becoming a household name you’ll want to add “Smashed” to your collection.

-Ryan Michael Painter