Laura Smiles

There's an unconvincing last-act twist, but this is the movie "Little Children" wanted to be.

It casts an increasingly hypnotic spell, thanks in no small measure to Wright -- a fearless actress (and the real-life wife of writer-director Ruscio) who brings this sometimes despicable, often heartbreaking character to life with every atom of her being.

Wright's haunting performance is the anchor that keeps Ruscio's film from vanishing down a rabbit hole.

Ruscio's script is grim and darkly funny, but the big attraction is Wright's right-on performance. She's an actress waiting to be discovered.

As Ruscio piles it on, he gets himself further and further away from any sense of genuine emotional truth.

It's an interesting profile in self-destruction until the script becomes unhinged itself and has Laura doing things that are not so much outrageous as hilariously stupid.

Stylish, low-budget indies thrive on redeeming the clichés of everyday life. But that takes smart writing and sharp humor, of which Laura Smiles has none.