Win Win
Tags: entertaining

Plot synopsis:
Small-town New Providence, New Jersey, attorney Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti) moonlights as a wrestling coach and struggles to keep his practice solvent, while shielding his wife Jackie (Amy Ryan) and their two young girls, Abby and Stella, from the extent of the problem. When his court-appointed client, Leo Poplar (Burt Young), who is suffering from early dementia, turns out to have no locatable relatives, he persuades a judge to appoint him as guardian, for which he will receive a stipend of $1,508 per month. Mike, however, has no intention of taking care of Leo and moves him to a senior care facility while he continues to get paid for guardianship.
When Leo's troubled teenage grandson, Kyle (Alex Shaffer) shows up from Columbus, Ohio, looking to live with him, Mike and Jackie let him stay with them instead. Kyle tries to break into Leo's old house, and when Mike and Jackie question him about it, he reveals his troubled family life: His mom is in rehab, she lives with her boyfriend, and he doesn't want to go back. Upon hearing this, Jackie refuses to allow Kyle to return home and lets him stay in their household. After Kyle sits in on practice, they discover that he is a talented wrestler and enroll him at Mike's high school, where he can resume his education and wrestle on Mike's losing team, helping to make them viable contenders in their league.
This "everyone benefits" setup is disrupted when Kyle's mother Cindy (Melanie Lynskey) shows up, fresh out of rehab. Cindy attempts to gain custody of her father and her son, and with them her father's substantial estate. However, Mike explains to Cindy and her lawyer that Leo had disinherited her from his will, causing her to become furious. Later, Cindy calls Kyle to her hotel room to show him court documents proving that Mike is supposed to keep Leo at home and not at the elderly home. Kyle reacts violently towards his mother before running away.
Upon learning the truth about Mike, the boy rejects him as a money-seeking opportunist no better than his mother. Realizing the mistake of his earlier actions, and seeking instead to do what's best for both Leo and Kyle, Mike offers Cindy the monthly stipend in exchange for leaving them in his care. He and Jackie take Kyle into their home permanently and return Leo to his, with Mike instead taking a job as a bartender to address his financial problems.

Review: Paul Giamatti – a true everyman actor – delivers a wonderful performance as a lawyer and wrestling coach struggling with the challenges of family and money in New Jersey.
One thing we learn early on is that Mike intentionally misled the judge in Leo's case, giving the impression that he would be actively taking care of Leo. But things really get going when Kyle's druggie mom (Melanie Lynskey) shows up to bring her boy back – and to take over as Leo's guardian.Too often, Giamatti has played real sad-sack characters, guys who just can't seem to catch a break, guys who suffer at the hands of fickle fate.
What makes it work are all of the truly sincere, dead-on performances: by Giamatti, Ryan, Shaffer, Lynskey, Bobby Cannavale, and even Jeffrey Tambor as one of Mike's wrestling assistant coaches.
Actor-turned-director Tom McCarthy has put together a fine third feature in Win Win. All of his films tend to have compact stories that are small in scope but feature a very focused lens on the lives of their characters.One might say that Win Win is perhaps his most conventional dramedy, as it features a normal suburban family with normal suburban problems.
Since his grandfather is living in a retirement home, Kyle ends up staying with Mike and Jackie, who feel compelled to help the kid out.The film is funny and sweet and paints a really true-to-life portrait of its characters.
In that way, the film will strike a nice honest chord with most of its audience.Paul Giamatti is great in this, giving a much lower key performance than some of his previous works like American Splendor, Sideways, and even "John Adams." He falls into the suburban dad character very well and wears the character's skin rather nicely.
Bobby Cannavale and Jeffrey Tambor are fun to watch as well, but serve generally to provide comedic relief (which they do in abundance) and their characters aren't nearly as well painted as Mike or Kyle.Alex Shaffer, in his very first role, holds his own among some heavyweight actors.
So of course Win Win is the next on the list on his impressive resume, the story was surprisingly quite complex but not difficult to keep track of which is the work of a great director.The character of Jack is very reminiscent of Giamatti's character from Storytelling, a guy somewhat down on his luck who just can't seem to get ahead or on top of things, of course these films are very different but the similarities are definitely there.Amy Ryan impressed me a lot, I've never seen her in anything before but after seeing this I look forward to catching other films with her, she has a great presence in screen and her and Giamatti work excellently together...
Instead, it has many humorous moments which keep the tone quite light, even as the film raises some darker problems.The first dilemma concerns the subterfuge that lawyer Mike Flaherty (Paul Giametti) employs to win the maintenance award for looking after his elderly client Leo who suffers from Alzheimers disease.
Mike (Paul Giamatti) has a failing law practice, moonlights as a high school wrestling coach, and now becomes custodian of elderly Leo Poplar (Burt Young) because Mike needs the $1500 a month.
Because the central characters are loving and largely benign, the film has an easy, unforced quality.Terry (Bobby Cannavale) is especially likable as Mike's old wrestling buddy, recently split from his wife, and full of energy to channel as assistant coach helping with their new wrestling star.
The characters become more dear, the laughs get louder and the plot thickens.Writer, director Thomas McCarthy (who also wrote and directed one of my all time favorite movies, "The Station Agent") has created a group of characters as strange and wonderful as real people, but with better lines.
Not at all, despite the terribly stereo-typical, shallow, cringe-inducing, comic-relief character played by Bobby Cannavale.If you as a filmmaker are going to have this much of a disregard for the way people really act, speak and think then for god's sake, have someone in your film pull a gun out so at least I won't be bored.Suck Suck..
Win Win is the third film from talented writer/director Thomas McCarthy, and like his past indie gems The Visitor & The Station Agent he finds a way to bring out an unexpected humor from the scenes in unique ways.
Although his third film isn't necessarily a step up from his past endeavors, it's obvious McCarthy knows how to tell a good story.Win Win is blessed with a talented cast, and although there isn't any major stretches or performances to be blown away by, it's a talented cast from top to bottom who are very comfortable bringing these characters to life.
From her bit roles in Up in the Air, The Informant & Away We Goit's only a matter of time before she gets her shot at some starring roles.Although Win Win isn't as deep as McCarthy's past films, and didn't leave a lasting impression and keep me thinking about the movie long after the credits rolled, it found a way to accomplish something most films don't.
The story exposes us to Mike Flaherty played by Paul Giamatti a small time lawyer and his family and friends.
Here writer and director Tom McCarthy provides Giamatti with an appealing role as Mike Flaherty, a lawyer in a small New Jersey town who is facing a hard time financially and makes a wrong decision that nevertheless ultimately has some welcome consequences.The decision and the consequences revolve around the aged Leo (Burt Young) who is in the early stages of dementia and his weird teenage grandson Kyle (Alex Shaffer).
In Win Win he has just that: an excellent cast, beginning with a superb leading performance from Paul Giamatti, and a great supporting cast which include the always reliable Amy Ryan, Jeffrey Tambor, Bobby Cannavale, Melanie Lynskey, and Burt Young, plus a memorable performance from newcomer Alex Shaffer who is the heart and motor of the story.
The mystery about his past and the way he interacts with Giamatti and Ryan are the soul of this drama, while Cannavale and Tambor's performance work more as the comedic relief.Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti) is a lawyer and father of two young daughters living with his wife Jackie (Amy Ryan) in a New Jersey superb.
Each of these two actors becomes the character and then builds upon their respective roles with powerful acting skills.This film acted like one that was badly edited and/or one that richly deserved to go back into post-production so that it could be allowed a more well-developed ending.I thought that the role of Bobby was more of a distraction than a help.And yet there were moments of greatness in this film, very heart-warming scenes in which good story, good writing and good acting all dove-tailed.I would truly like to watch the director's cut of this one.Alex Shaffer will be heard from again.
The films pacing was perfect too with a tone that goes seamlessly from dramatic to comedic.The story follows a struggling small time lawyer and moon-lighting wrestling coach who makes an unethical decision to earn some extra money by becoming the guardian to an elderly client (Burt Young) suffering from dementia.
Tom McCarthy's "Win Win" sees Paul Giamatti star as Mike Flaherty, a struggling lawyer and part-time high school wrestling coach.
Amy Ryan as the hard-nosed mother, Jeffrey Tambor and Terry Delfino as assistant wrestling coaches with two completely different styles, Burt Young as the grandfather who just wants to go home, and Melanie Lynskey as Kyle's mother who has returned purely for the money--these performers are very good.
An appealing film that manages to be feel-good while still allowing its audience to respect itself in the morning.Paul Giamatti plays a down-on-his-luck lawyer who takes under his wing the grandson of a mentally incompetent man (Burt Young) for whom he's become legal guardian.
I recently lent my attention to Win Win, Tom McCarthy's directorial follow up to his 2008 film The Visitor.The movie features some interesting themes, a lot of funny jokes, a great sense of drama, and interesting characters.
With his "everyman" look, he can deliver an average character in which most middle-aged audience members can relate."Win Win" is the latest independent story from director Thomas McCarthy featuring Giamatti as Mike Flaherty, a local attorney in a small town in New Jersey (although, this small town could have been anywhere in the United States).
Mike is a good person with good intentions, but like the rest of the working class folks, he has the common desire to provide for his family.After Mike puts Leo in his nursing home, we are introduced to Kyle (played by Alex Shaffer, in his only film role to date).
The next day the grandson of the wealthy elderly mans shows up and Mike and his wife (Amy Ryan) are forced to take care of the kid, Kyle (Alex Shaffer).
Win Win tackles this subject with excellent results.Here Kyle (Alex Shaffer) is a troubled teenager and is put into an alternative family billet home of Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti) after running away to New Jersey to his grandfather Leo (Burt Young).
Usually a type of mish- mash of things like this in a movie is not good but here it works.Similar to Hailee Steinfeld who was an unknown teenager casted in the 2010 movie True Grit, Win Win puts Alex Shaffer in the lead role as the troubled teen.
The rest of the cast which includes Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale and Burt Young is solid and works in every way.Many films stood out in 2011, but I think Win Win bettered all of them.
All three films feature the reactions and adaptations when strangers collide and a family-like atmosphere is created.In this film, Paul Giamatti plays a struggling lawyer who also coaches the local high school wrestling team.
Those are the words that come to mind watching Paul Giamatti struggling in "Win Win".It is certainly not a walt disney family film, but young, old and everything in between will find recognition in this story about 2 families who accidentally learn to take care of each other the best way they can.
"Win Win" is not that kind of film; instead choosing to revel in the struggles of day-to-day life and work through them.For a basic plot summary, "Win Win" sees Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti) struggling to make a living for himself and his family.
Win Win Genre: drama Movie length: 106 minutes The stars: Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Bobby Tonnale, and Jeffery Tambor Plot: the movie as about a boy with a talent in wrestling but his past comes back to haunt him.
WIN-WINThe genre of the movie is Drama/Comedy; the length of the movie is 106 minutes long.The story is about a lawyer who needs money so he takes in a old man so each week the lawyer gets 1.500$ per week and then there is a kid that shows up one day and the lawyer takes in the kid as a son and puts him in the wrestling team.The main characters are Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale and Jeffrey Tambor.
When he learns of a way he can earn money by claiming guardianship of one of his clients with dementia and placing him in an assisted living facility, he pulls the trigger despite knowing the old man (Burt Young) would prefer to live on his own.The decision proves a real win-win — until teenager Kyle (Alex Shaffer) enters the picture.
However the casters must have seen that they had a win win with him because he does an excellent job acting the kid we both don't want hanging around in our neighborhood, but once we get to know him are charmed by the person he is.This movie has something for almost everyone; enough family drama and feelings for a chick flick, but enough testosterone and sports for the guys.
Kyle's homelife is found later to be dreadful, and begins to shake up Mike's simple life as he tries to manage him while care for his loving wife and two kids.The supporting cast of Win Win is pitch-perfect packed with character actors like Bobby Cannavale and Jeffrey Tambor.
Win Win isn't perfect, but it's above-average, which I'll take over cliché and fair any day.Starring: Paul Giamatti, Alex Schaffer, Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor, Burt Young, and Amy Ryan.
All the supporting cast is great (Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor, Burt Young) and Alex Shaffer does a real nice job in his debut as Kyle.Directing/Cinematography/Technical: 7.5* - A tremendous job directing a movie that could have easily been directed into boredom.
The wrestle game is another high-light in the film, quirky but really funny (I do prefer wrestle to football).Paul Giamatti is never being better and Amy Ryan is wholeheartedly lovable to be cast against her stereotyped tough roles, Bobby Cannavale and the novice Alex Shaffer are amazing as well, plus a typically underrated Melanie Lynskey whose capacity is no less than her co-star in HEAVENLY CREATURES, Kate Winslet.
Win Win is the third and most accessible of McCarthy's humanistic films, and like his previous films, it focuses on a conflicted central character who is forced to mesh with other equally troubled characters and despite differences manage to create makeshift families all for the sake of human connection.In this case, the central character is played by Paul Giamatti, a lawyer who also volunteers as the local high school wrestling coach.
Also making the best of their parts are Amy Ryan as Giamatti's watchful wife and Melanie Lynskey as Kyle's drug-addled mom.My only real criticism is the film tends to be predictable.
Likewise Kyle's induction to the wrestling team gives the film a feel-good sports movie vibe that can annoy jaded viewers.Still its hard not to like this film for its great, well developed, three-dimensional characters and its sober humanism.
The film has a pretty silly setup; Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti) is a lawyer who, through a series of far-fetched events, ends up taking care of Kyle (Alex Shaffer), the grandson of one of his clients.
We really should not be surprised anymore when Paul Giamatti delivers another winning performance in a movie that nobody has heard of, the man is a class act and elicits a heartfelt and tender reaction from his audience, whether he is at the centre of an insightful family drama such as this excellent story from Thomas McCarthy (first time director of the excellent Station Agent) or chewing up the scenery in his cameo in The Hangover Pt.II, where he was a welcome touch of class (and I enjoyed H pt.
One day, Leo's grandson Kyle (played by Alex Shaffer) shows up and changes the life of the Flahertys."Win Win" really tells a great story with really well-played characters, and both plot and characters are really detailed and comes off a very realistic and believable.
Writer-Director Thomas McCarthy has done it again, his first two movies "The Station Agent" and "The Visitor" were brilliant, and he delivers the same authentic character development and storyline as those films into the "Win Win".
Mike is struggling with finding work as a lawyer and takes on the guardianship of one of his elderly clients Leo(Burt Young, Paulie in the 'Rocky' films) who is in the early stages of dementia in order to make a bit of needed money and places him in a home.
In depicting the eligibility of a critic's response to any film, published critic John Simon states that it "may be entertaining only for those who, by a native endowment of intelligence and sensitivity, or by education, training and experience, possess the wherewithal for being entertained by it." With Win Win, it's the viewer's exposure to the complexities of modern family life that makes the film not only entertaining, but entirely engaging and refreshing as well.Paul Giamatti plays Mike Flaherty, a family man balancing a struggling career as a small- practice attorney and his role as the local high school wrestling coach.
'WIN WIN': Four Stars (Out of Five) Another sweet hearted character study from actor turned writer/director Thomas McCarthy (who also performed the same duties on the popular indie films 'THE STATION AGENT' and 'THE VISITOR').
Paul Giamatti stars as the attorney / coach and ex high school wrestler Alex Shaffer makes his film debut as the hopeful talent.
Then when Leo's grandson Kyle shows up at Leo's door, on the run from his drug addicted mother (Lynskey) and her abusive boyfriend, he sees an inspiring new addition to his wrestling team, due to Kyle's former championship experience at his old school.The film is very funny at times but it never seems forced, it feels like real humor coming from real people.
A Nutshell Review: Win Win. Thomas McCarthy is fast becoming one of my favourite filmmakers, having wrote and directed The Visitor which I had enjoyed, and following that up with another powerful gem of a film here in Win Win, complete with wonderfully crafted characters, great performances all round, and a story that deals with how we deal with challenges placed in front of us, whether we lapse and opt for the short cut out, or in some cases, stick to our guns and do what's morally correct, keeping our integrity and reputation intact.Paul Giamatti stars as Mike Flaherty, a decent family man and a community lawyer whose business isn't thriving, and is soon running into debt if the lack of meaningful work continues.
"They don't know who you are" is a line delivered in WIN WIN by Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti) directed by Thomas McCarthy to his star high school wrestler Kyle (Alex Shaffer).
Lawyer and part time wrestling coach Mike (Paul Giamatti) says this to his star young player, Kyle (Alex Shaffer).