Review of Win Win (2011) by Simon B — 10 May 2012

Writer-Director Thomas McCarthy's "Win Win" was such a winning movie that I never wanted it to "fin fin". This clever flick stars the always great Paul Giamatti as Mike Flaherty, a middle-aged father of two who has a small law practice which he is struggling to keep afloat.

Flaherty moonlights as a coach of a high school wrestling team who is not doing any better than his law practice. In order to wrestle with his economic troubles, Flaherty decides to declare himself a guardian to Leo Poplar, a senior citizen client of his that is going through early stages of dementia.

Mike gets a nice chunk of change per month for his guardian duties in "The Poplar Express". Unexpectedly, Poplar's teenage grandson Kyle appears on Leo's doorstep but Leo does not live there anymore since Mike put Leo in a senior citizen residential center.

Mike then takes in Kyle, and quickly discovers that Kyle is a young wrestling whiz with a troubled past and a despondent mother. You will be gone with the "Win Win" if I provide you more details on the film's narrative developments.

But I must state that this movie is outstanding! 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".

Giamatti was spectacular as the conflicted Flaherty, but when is Giamatti not good; he is a literal lock for a "win win" performance in any movie. No one perfects a character of a gabby dude looking for male- bonding companionship better than Bobby Cannavale; he mastered it as the Cuban-American Ice Cream Truck vendor Joe Aramas in "The Station Agent", and also crowns it here in "Win Win" as Mike's best friend and novice assistant wrestling coach Terry Delfino.

Jeffrey Tambor was no bore with his comical work as Stephen Vigman, who is Mike's coaching wingman in the wrestling team. Amy Ryan was very sharp and very middle-age hip as Mike's supporting wife Jackie.

And newcomer Alex Shaffer pinned in his acting debut nicely with his work as Kyle. It was great to see veteran actor Burt Young back on the top of his game with his very good performance as Leo. McCarthy's superb screenplay deserved a "win win" or at least a "nom nom" in the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award category.

"Win Win" is one of my favorite movies of 2011, and its winning formula makes it a viable "win win" situation for all to see. *****Excellent.