An Unlikely Friendship

Rating: 8/10 (11 March 2012)

Despite the title 'Win Win' doesn't indeed feature much winning, but instead the consequences from actions and the ripples of repercussions that follow said incidents. Paul Giamatti stars as lawyer Mike Flaherty, a family man, down on his luck and trying his hardest to keep everything afloat. However after a chain of events he stumbles into temporary adoption of a teenager known as Kyle who may be the motivation that the lost character needs.
Billed as a comedy but coming across with more substance than anything you'd expect. A plot that builds itself up to comical instances but never does. It takes a more calmer and human approach often giving the characters more personality and a higher chance for the audience to connect. The film revolves around mistakes and how each player must find a way around them, which is probably a catalyst for the title. The characters gain personal victories but not through the traditional and heroic way that is usually portrayed. Mike takes advantage of one of his clients who is in late stages of dementia for his own personal win, Kyle is filled to the brim with a troubled past and various other characters are flawed, none are perfect.
The only problem with Win Win is that it's too neat. It spends a good portion making imperfect and damaged characters to only bring it to a traditional and clean conclusion. This is more than likely down to the uplifting vibe that the film slowly builds throughout, but it would have been refreshing to see a darker and more human ending. That said the film is fantastic in every other respect. The screenplay is phenomenal, written and directed by Thomas McCarthy who also worked on Disney's 'Up'. Every line feels nigh on perfectly written and is reminiscent of real world dialogue from real world people. It's a refreshing and uplifting comedy that brings a lot more to the table than you might expect.