Review of Win Win (2011) by Matt Z — 25 Nov 2011

The indie darling of the year. Paul Giamatti plays a lawyer for old folks/high school wrestling coach. He's not so much having a midlife crisis as he is just having anxiety over everyday stress. He's got a loving family, but, through movie happenstance, he pretty much inherits a child (Alex Shaffer), and they might be able to help each other out with their respective problems.

All you have to say is "Paul Giamatti", and I'm there with bells on. He's such a talent, and gives it his all in any role he's in, and here is no different. If you like movies that have a Little Miss Sunshine vibe about it, then this is for you, as it is definitely one of the better ones.

It's all smiles for the first two acts, with some really good laughs, but what you don't realize is that it is setting up pieces to a dramatic conclusion, and a pretty engaging one at that. The two tones don't clash at all, and the fact that it does switch gears ends up making it memorable.

Also worthy of mentioning is the performance of Alex Shaffer, who plays a large part in his first movie (he has a very familiar face, but this is his debut), and he does a great job in his deadpan role.

This is a movie you'll be glad you discovered and you will most likely want to share it with anybody who likes film.