Win Win

A Film Review By: David Ramirez

"Win Win"

✭✭✭/✭✭✭✭

Disheartened attorney Mike Flaherty (Giamatti), who moonlights as a high school wrestling coach, stumbles across a star athlete through some questionable business dealings while trying to support his family. Just as it looks like he will get a double payday, the boy's mother shows up fresh from rehab and flat broke, threatening to derail everything. - IMBD

Paul Giamatti stars in “Win Win” and does honestly what he does best; becoming the character he's portraying. The easy way for Giamatti to play this part would've been one of two ways: first, as a total scumbag or secondly, completely over stressed baskitcase family man; fortunately for us he does neither of these things. What we get from Giamatti is a man who truly loves his family and would do anything to make sure they never need anything.  Many actors could try and pull this off but not many can do it as well as he does, he is truly an actor who wears his heart on his sleeve and because of it, his performance here is truly something special. Even when he is doing something that is less then admirable, you don’t dislike him, instead he makes you understand why he is doing it. This is a performance from him that people will be talking about for years to come.

New comer Alex Schaffer plays Kyle, the grandson of one of Giamatti’s clients and a wrestling phenom. Schaffer does a great job as a young man who has been through so much that he doesn’t care about his atmosphere anymore. Some young actors would have really tried to make it very obvious and painful that their character doesn’t care about much. Instead Schaffer acts like any other teenager in this situation; he is just plain old oblivious to everything.  Thanks to Schaffer real life wrestling skills he does add another dimension of realism to his character. Given the right opportunities I think Schaffer is a young man that we will see in many movies to come.

Rounding out the cast is Amy Ryan as Giamatti’s loving wife and mother to his children. We also have Bobby Cannavale as Giamatti’s best friend. Ms. Ryan does a great job as a wife and the loving mother of her children, and shows Kyle how a mother should be.  Cannavale is really funny as a man who is not only going through a divorce but only seems to be a little lost and is trying to find his place in his new life. These two characters truly add a layer of wormth and heart to the film, and do a great job as supporting characters.

The writing of the film is something that is truly a joy to see, it has some smart humor and moments that really makes you think. The story that is told here has a little tenderness that feels true but completely without mush; unlike many of the films we see today about family and the hardships of life. The situation presented here is not perfect, and the ultimate outcome of the picture is extremely fitting. The irony of the title fades as “Win Win” wins you over.