Win Win (2011) - Paul Giamatti, Where Have You Been in a Long Time?

Rating: 8/10 (24 May 2012)

Released at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, "Win Win" was highly praised as one of the best underrated movies of 2011, and for good reason, since "Win Win" is a fresh and enjoyable motion picture. Paul Giamatti stars as a family man, who has bounced from place to place, job after job, from being a attorney to a wrestling coach. But when deciding to appoint as guardian to one of his court-appointed clients, played by Burt Young, he then meets his client's troubled teen grandson, played by Alex Shaffer, who ends up living with him, after being abandoned by an alcoholic mother. After later discovering that the kid's a talented wrestler, Giamatti places him on the team, hoping to encourage his losing team to play better. Although advertised as a sports movie, "Win Win" is anything but. "Win Win" is more of a realistic family drama that will affect the heart and the senses. Paul Giamatti and Alex Shaffer probably deliver some of the best performances in the entire 106 minute run-time. But besides that, Amy Ryan, Jeffrey Tambor, Melanie Lynskey, Burt Young, and the hilarious Bobby Cannavale provide some interesting performances to the overall brilliant cast. This movie delivers some incredibly sharp writing that quite improves the most in this low-budget underrated movie, and the acting helps support the movie's momentum. I honestly enjoyed the movie throughout, without any mishaps. But there were just some moments that I felt needed more to support the story, and to give it the more strength that it needs. But, "Win Win" is a crisp, off-beat, unusual, and unique little gem. An expertly written, remarkably acted, and strongly paced motion picture is indeed the type of movie I'd see. "Win Win" is probably one of the most interesting and surprising movies of the previous year. "Win Win", in my review, "charming and remarkable, a unique treat".