In order to be a success in amateur wrestling, you’ve got to keep your opponent guessing and strike when the iron is hot, with a move that will pin them to the floor and induce a victory.
Ironically enough, films work in a very similar fashion. A good plot takes us from one place to another with a climax that suspends our disbelief and if stellar, steals our attention and creates a winner on film.
While Kyle, the amateur wrestler [Alex Shaffer] in Thomas McCarthy’s “Win Win†has all the right moves in the ring, the film itself suffers from a lethargic plot and a climax that is far from pin-inducing. Luckily, on the strength of solid performances from Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan and a stellar supporting cast, the film rises above the mediocre, but it doesn’t explode out of the headlock the plot puts it in.
The end result is a film that doesn’t quite live up to its name.
Giamatti plays elder attorney Mike Flaherty, who in the blink of an eye goes from an upstanding member of the community to someone in danger of losing everything. With the help of his best friend, Terry [played hilariously by Bobby Cannavale], Flaherty is able to hide his secret from his family, but soon enough, things get entirely too complicated. Soon enough, the story goes from one about a family struggling to survive to one about a young amateur wrestler trying to find his way with the help of the same family, that is in no shape monetarily to help him.
While it gets a bit slow and confusing at times, the candid and easy-going performance by Shaffer and the loveable Ryan make the weak plot transition a heart-warming one. Nevertheless, with this plot change, neither one of these situations are truly resolved or even remotely developed as much as they should be. As a result, the film, which aims to possess a family-friendly duality, feels disorganized and unfocused.
A true testament to the performances of the cast, in spite of these problems, the film is still enjoyable- just not as much as it could have been. Supporting actors Jeffrey Tambor, Burt Young and Melanie Lynskey are all solid, adding the needed drama and comedy this film needed to make up for its flaws. Not to be forgotten either is youngster Clare Foley, who is adorable with her random acts of potty mouth and surprising maturity.
Unfortunately, the plot moves in directions that rob the film of any real climax, making it feel more like an episodic production. Simply put, there’s too many situations and dilemmas to cover in such a short period of time and not enough resolution and moments of character to truly satisfy.
Had the script been a bit tighter, this film could have been a sleeper hit. As it stands right now, it’s worth a look, especially if you’re a fan of Giamatti and Ryan, but has glaring weaknesses that rob it of any real sparkle it could have had otherwise.
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