One of the FirstShowing editors chose Smashed as one of his favorite films of 2012 largely in part due to Mary’s performance. Here’s what he had to say:
Winstead, a great actress with a very hit-or-miss filmography, found a fantastic script to showcase another of her excellent performances with James Ponsoldt’s Smashed, in which she plays an alcoholic named Kate who tries to get her life back on track. Like the film itself, Winstead is raw and unflinching here, unafraid to imbue her performance with real devastating emotion instead of hinging on cliche and melodrama to get the job done. Kate is damaged goods, and the normally-cheery Winstead disappears into the character, giving her a powerful sense of intensity that shines whenever she’s on screen.