... the ending is one of those conclusions of a film that you see coming a few minutes before it does yet you pray it actually doesn't end that way because you know you'd feel like throwing your shoe at the screen.

I Smile Back might not rewrite the addiction or mental illness melodrama rule book but that doesn't make it less affecting, Silverman's spectacular performance alone making the price of a ticket well worth spending.

'I Smile Back' could very well be just another addiction drama, were it not for the power and force of Silverman's performance, which she plays with such raw openness that she transcends the material.

A discomforting addiction drama that hits the low notes of stay-at-home domesticity like a mallet to a gong, 'I Smile Back' showcases Sarah Silverman in a brutal, potent performance.