Win-Win Review by Brian

Rating: 8/10 (10 March 2011)

I was so privileged to go to an early screening of Win, Win directed by Thomas McCarthy and starring the wonderful Paul Giamatti alongside a fabulous supporting cast. Giamatti offers a much more content character in his role as Mike Flaherty, a down on his luck lawyer/coach of a sub-par high-school wrestling team/family man who would do anything to keep his family comfortable and content.
The plot is as follows:
"Disheartened attorney Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti), who moonlights as a high school wrestling coach, stumbles across a star athlete (Alex Shaffer) 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 (Melanie Lynskey) shows up fresh from rehab and flat broke, threatening to derail everything."
The director would openly admit in the post-screening Q&A that his focus in film is never focusing on a plot but rather letting one occur "organically" as his characters develop. While maybe not driven by the most riveting or original story, the message is one that is rarely seen in Hollywood. Sometimes things work out, sometimes things don't work out like you expected.
Giamatti does a wonderful conveying a man who while generally content with his beautiful family, feels a little disheartened that his will to do better for them isn't always enough. The director spoke of Giamatti's (who usually takes on darker roles) challenge to play this family man McCarthy joked during the Q&A that he had called Giamatti after sending him the script and the first thing Giamatti had to say was, "He seems fuc%$# happy." If it was a challenge, the viewer could not tell. His work was wonderful and very human.
The ladies of this movie also did a fantastic job. First there was Amy Ryan, best known for her role in The Office, playing Flaherty's wife Jackie. Ryan brought light to the New Jersey house wife that is much more compelling then anything Bravo has ever offered. She is a Jon Bon Jovi loving, head strong, but still incredibly loving woman. Another woman who plays a much smaller role is Margo Martindale. While her character delivers at most 10 lines, she comes on screen with a character already so developed that the lines are not merely filler but rather steal scenes They are not back ground noise, but rather plot devices. I left my favorite lady for last, Melanie Lynskey (The Informant, Up In the Air). Lynskey plays Giamatti's nemesis throughout the movie and even sharing the screen with a veteran of Giamatti's caliber she holds her own. For her character I applaud director/co-writer McMarthy for creating a believable though cliché drunk/drug addled mother character without divulging too much of her dirty past – the cause of her son's angst.
This brings us of course to Mr. Alex Shaffer, never heard of him? Well that makes sense as this is his first role ever. He plays the estranged teenager whom Giammatti brings into his heart and home. The director divulged that in order for this movie to be believable he had to find an actual high school wrestler first, actor second. Not only is he the state champion in his weight class in New Jersey high-school wrestling, he also champions the screen. In a role that is very reminiscent of Paul Dano's Dwayne in Little Miss Sunshine, he brings the quiet but tortured teen brilliantly to life.
All in all, while not necessarily incredibly unique in theme this movie was stunning. No one in the cast fell short, not even the Flaherty's younger daughters. I left this movie with a smile and a reminder that sometimes life get's in the way of other plans. I absolutely think this is a movie that everyone out there can relate to and will enjoy.
I give this movie a 8.5 out of 10, an A-,
definitely worth seeing in theaters and even better for a dreary day next fall when you feel down on your luck and could use a laugh and a reminder that it always gets better —- and if not better —- then at least not worse.
As always thank you for reading and enjoy the movies!