Unexpected hit for me; fun, charming, heartwarming and felt very real

Rating: 7/10 (31 January 2016)

This turned out to be a more than decent dramedy. I didn't know anything about it going in but based on the rave reviews decided to give it a shot. I have to be honest I'm not a fan of Paul Giamatti, I appreciate that's he's a great actor but for (whatever) reason I've never enjoyed him in a movie until now.
He was just superb in this and even though he was involved in some questionable business dealings you were still on his side the whole time. The entire cast was fantastic here, really rich (and real) characters) working through an entertaining and very human feeling story. The films pacing was perfect too with a tone that goes seamlessly from dramatic to comedic.
The story follows a struggling small time lawyer and moon-lighting wrestling coach who makes an unethical decision to earn some extra money by becoming the guardian to an elderly client (Burt Young) suffering from dementia. Unexpectedly this decision also soon results in Mike having to care for the old mans troubled grandson when he shows up needing a place to stay. Kyle just happens to be a brilliant wrestler though, and in need of a real break in the stable family department. Everything is win-win until Kyle's mother turns up, fresh from rehab and flat broke, threatening to derail everything. 1/3/16