Neither fish nor fowl, but engaging nonetheless

Rating: 7/10 (27 May 2011)

I'm not too sure what to make of Win Win. Paul Giamatti is Mike. His law practice is going down the tubes, and the high school wrestling team he coaches is rubbish and loses every match it plays. When he gets involved in Leo (Burt Young)'s affairs - Leo is in the early stages of Alzheimer's and his daughter is absent with a drug habit - he sees an opportunity to put Leo in a home (Leo wants to stay in his house) and pocket the management fee paid by the State. It then turns out that Leo comes with a teenage grandson who happens to be a phenomenal wrestler. And then the daughter turns up.
This film doesn't conveniently fit into any category. It is sometimes amusing, but it's no comedy. There are elements of Karate Kid and Rocky in the wrestling matches. And, most of all, it is a morality play of sorts:Leo's actions put him in a difficult place, but he develops as a person as a result. In that respect I suppose the film is quite successful, and it benefits from believable performances from all the principal characters.
Where it falls down is in that there are a number of areas where it simply isn't believable. While I can understand Mike falling victim to temptation, surely he would then have gone on to arrange to rent out Leo's house? The sums didn't really add up here. And I found it difficult to believe he would have got off so lightly, notwithstanding the daughter's attitude. And the wrestling grandson was a major coincidence.
Having said that, I was quite happy to live with these reservations, and I found the movie quietly pleasing.