Not your average sports movie
Paul Giamatti is as usual, brilliant, in his portrayal as a small time attorney struggling to make ends meet when things don’t goes as planned after he decides to become a guardian of a stubborn senior whose family was thought to have abandoned him. Things get complicated when a grandson shows up and happens to be an excellent wrestler, certain to change the fortunes of the high school team Giamatti also coaches. As the film deftly illustrates, life is complicated and “Win-Win” is that rare family film that portrays life’s real challenges without glossing over the complexities of relationships. In fact competitive wrestling isn’t the primary vehicle here but wrestling of the interpersonal kind. The film has lots of strong language which will unfortunately keep it from being seen by many families who would otherwise be genuinely moved by the films authentic performances and well earned emotional uplift.
Rated R for language
Grade: B+
Bruce Bennett Short Bio
Bruce Bennett has been the primary contributor to Mad About Movies since it began in 2003. He is an award winning film and theater critic who, since 2000, has been writing a weekly column in The Spectrum daily newspaper in southern Utah as well as serving as a contributing editor of “The Independent,” a monthly entertainment magazine. He is also the co-host of “Film Fanatics” a movie review show which earned a Telly in 2009. Bruce is also a featured contributor at: RottenTomatoes.com
His motto: "I see bad movies so you don't have to."