Smashed

A low-budget American indie movie about alcoholism would seem to promise a world of misery but, though slight, this well-played drama takes the opposite spin: that it's harder to commit to sobriety than kick dependency. Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs the World) is cast perfectly against type as the dowdy though still pretty Kate, a kindergarten teacher with a drink problem that in a single night can escalate from booze to crack cocaine. The result of this binge is hangover-inspired vomiting at school, which she passes off as pregnancy-related. Finally forced to face up to her addiction, Kate starts to see her life through different eyes, and while there really isn't much in the way of resolution, this thoughtful film does offer an alternative to the usual issue-led movie, thanks to a soulful performance from the underrated Winstead. A carousel of great character actors add a good deal of much-needed depth, too, notably Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul as Kate's hard-partying husband, Charlie.