Really wanted there to be bigger emotion, bigger conflict, and more satisfying characters

Rating: Null/10 (7 September 2011)

I originally saw Win Win at the local sort of art theater (which is currently playing The Guard, The Trip, The Help, and The Debt) on a scratchy print that had obviously been passed around a few times before.
The trailer put off this fun, quirky, life's looking up vibe – Paul Giamatti plays chubby lawyer Mike who's just trying work through his wacky problems when his life is interrupted by Rob Schneider! I mean the bleach-blond up and comer Alex Shaffer. Everything gets wicka-wacky fun when his drug-addict mom shows up to reclaim her son with some shady ulterior motives and Amy Ryan gets really sassy. Just goes to show the power of editing.
Back up a little. Win Win is mostly actor, sometimes writer/director Thomas McCarthy's third film. I watched his previous film The Visitor in anticipation of seeing Win Win. My micro review: REALLY wanted to like it. Richard Jenkins is fantastic, the premise promises to be kind of awkward but heartwarming, but it didn't ever do anything or go anywhere. I finished the movie, but only because I had nothing else to do at the time.
Back to the movie on hand. It did have some funny moments, as promised in the trailer. Bobby Cannavale (Terry) put on a great show as an over- enthusiastic side-kick for Mike delivering some great lines. While I'd never accuse Giamatti of phoning anything in, he seemed to be playing that character he plays – you know, just being Paul Giamatti. Not a bad choice – I really can't see anybody else filling the role, but I felt like I'd seen it all before. Story-wise, I won't spoil the details should you choose to watch (it is a little complicated), but the premise set forth had the same general concept as The Visitor. Mike makes some choices that are sure to come to a head near the end of the film, but like McCarthy's previous film, it really falls flat on resolution. Everything is just too convenient, easy, and really unsatisfying.
Perhaps my love of action movies squishes my enjoyment of subtle, quiet family drama, but I really wanted there to be bigger emotion, bigger conflict, and more satisfying characters. Mad Men is a favorite of mine because everyone is so ruthless and emotional, and the characters have some serious flaws. Win Win was a no go for going to any extreme and, as a result, didn't have much of a rise an fall in story for the duration.