Movie Review - Win Win

Win Win (2011)

Starring Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor, Burt Young, Melanie Lynskey, and Alex Shaffer

Directed by Thomas McCarthy

I went into Win Win thinking I was in for some quirky low budget indie comedy (a genre that I find myself quite wishy-washy on), but what I got was a movie that has a surprising amount of heart and humor and one of the best ensemble casts I've seen so far this year including a very nice debut turn from young actor Alex Shaffer.

Lawyer Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti) is in a bit of trouble.  With clients few and far between, he ends up taking over guardianship of Leo, one of his elderly senile clients (Burt Young), in order to receive a monthly commission of $1500.  One Sunday morning while stopping by Leo's home, Mike and his wife Jackie (Amy Ryan) spot a teenager sitting on the front porch who, it turns out happens to be Leo's grandson Kyle (Alex Shaffer) who has run away from home and has a mother who is currently residing in a drug rehab facility.  Feeling a bit of guilt for collecting the monthly stipend from Leo, Mike takes the teen into his home and soon discovers that despite Kyle's typical teenage quirks, he's a good kid who Mike and his family begin to deeply care for as he slowly becomes acclimated to the community, even joining the wrestling team that Mike coaches at the local high school.

Director and screenwriter Thomas McCarthy has crafted an absolutely lovely dramedy here with moments of laugh-out-loud humor and bring-a-tear-to-your eye emotions.  That's due in huge part to the absolutely terrific cast led by Paul Giamatti in what I think may be his best role yet.  Yes, he's just playing a normal suburban dad, but there's just a genuine true quality to his performance that I latched onto right away.  He loves his wife; he loves his family; he (kinda) loves his job...he's just an all around good guy and, although he's certainly flawed, the audience understands that his slight imperfections are only there in order to do the best he can for his wife and two young daughters.  

Similarly, Amy Ryan is near perfect in a simple role, but one that is incredibly effective thanks to its strong roots in reality.  Bobby Cannavale as Mike's best friend and Jeffrey Tambor as Mike's assistant wrestling coach provide much of the humor and, although neither are essential to the plot, never feel shoehorned into any scenes simply to provide comedic elements.  Melanie Lynsky is turning out to be one of my favorite small-time character actresses and as Kyle's mom who comes onto the scene late in the film, she is the impetus behind many of the film's most dramatic moments.  Alex Shaffer plays Kyle as a moody teenager, but there's something oddly different, innocent, and somewhat sweet in his portrayal and it was a fresh take that was a welcome change from the typical "troubled" teens we so often see.  He plays Kyle as a good kid who's been in a bit of trouble, but has overcome a lot and deserves better than his lot in life.  

Despite a few F-bombs dropped here and there, Win Win is a really great "family-style" film that may not necessarily think "out of the box" when it comes to storytelling, but it tells its story so darn good that it makes it incredibly easy to overlook its sometimes melodramatic moments.  It's not the least bit flashy, but it is a pleasure to watch and it's a flick that I'll certainly revisit in years to come.

The RyMickey Rating:  A-