Sarah Silverman is one of the most successful stand-up comedians working today, but it’s her role as a drug-addled, depressed mother in “I Smile Back” that proves she’s more than just funny jokes: she’s also an amazing actor.
The film, which debuted at Sundance this year, is a downer. It’s a raw portrayal of a troubled woman who seems to have it all: the loving husband, two adorable children, a beautiful house and the car to match. But within the first two scenes of the film, we see Silverman at a take-away counter throwing back a shot and later snorting lines of cocaine as if it’s as natural as taking a sip of water. She is deeply unhappy but we don’t know why. Silverman expertly embodies a woman so uncomfortable in her own skin that she stacks substance atop substance just to make being awake feel bearable.
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The cycle continues and in many ways, Silverman’s exquisite performance sheds a light not only on addiction, but also on the very real battles those with mental disease endure. Silverman has proved she has far more inside her than her standup performances have let on.
