A small, understated, heartwarming film !!!

Rating: 8/10 (4 September 2015)

'Win Win' is the quintessential American Indie film. It has brilliant acting, believable characters and relateable themes, but unfortunately it isn't flashy enough to get the attention of either the box office or the Academy. But it did get a lot of critical acclaim. The story exposes us to Mike Flaherty played by Paul Giamatti a small time lawyer and his family and friends. He is a lawyer and also coaches a school wrestling team. Due to certain interesting events, Mike comes across a teenage boy named Kyle who is the grandson of Leo, one of Mike's clients. Kyle turns out to be a wrestler which ends up being a blessing for Mike's wrestling team. Kyle's introduction in Mike's life changes both of them and they realise a few things about themselves and decide to make some changes in their lives.
Mike and Kyle's relationship is symbiotic and mutually beneficial in nature. Mike clearly sees a lot of himself in Kyle and ends up learning a lot about himself and what he needs to do to sort his life out and how to be 'in control'. They both end up making significant life decisions after coming into contact with each other. Now a film like that where characters start to change each other for the better and start learning things can be cheesy and heavy-handed, but this one remained true and believable due to the witty writing and brilliant acting. Both these characters start a new life at the end of the movie by changing themselves and letting go of their obstinacy and their egos. The film ends on a very sweet and poignant note and gives us an hint that Mike has decided to take control of his life instead of wallowing in self pity and allowing life to get the better of him.
The acting in the film is top class all across the board. Paul Giamatti is a ridiculously talented actor. He is very versatile. You will find him in big budget films and then you will find him in these small indie films. His best performances are in these character driven films with him playing very average guys. His character in the film does a few questionable things, but due to Giamatti's likability and the gentle and humanistic way in which the script treats the character, the viewer will understand the circumstances that forced him to do what he did. Amy Ryan as Jackie, Mike's wife is also great. She brings a lot of heart and believability to a character which could have been easily reduced to a clichéd one. She like Giamatti is also very versatile. I have seen her before in 'Gone Baby Gone' and 'Birdman' and she is brilliant in those films too, but not many talk about her too much. Alex Shaffer as Kyle is also very solid. He might come across a bit one-note, but I think that is exactly what the character required. A brash, soft- spoken, introverted boy will be just like the way he portrayed Kyle. But having said that, there are some soft vulnerable moments, where Alex beautifully emotes in a nuanced way and it works. Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor, Melanie Lynskey and Burt Young all have minor roles, but they all perform with merit.
This is the perfect example of a film where the importance is wholeheartedly given to the substance instead of the style. There is nothing remarkable going on with the way the film is shot. It's just Thomas McCarthy letting his story and screenplay flow organically without any extravagance. His characters are well rounded and realistic. They have merits and flaws and everything that make up a three dimensional human being. The subtexts and themes are dealt with in a subtle way without any preachy stuff. It's a film that blends American cinematic elements with the classic Italian neo- realism which is attempted by many of the new age American indie films.
The only flaw is that Kyle, the boy that Mike meets accidentally, conveniently turns out to be a brilliant wrestler which helps out Mike with his team. This co-incidence that you will have to accept does initially make the film look a bit clichéd and predictable, but once you accept it, the film progresses in a fluid manner and it is not without some subtle and unpredictable twists.
'Win Win' is a small, understated film about average people with real problems. The film is humanistic, funny, optimistic and has a great feel- good air about it. Big recommendation.