Win Win

Wii-n Wii-n. A drama about the path to a great victory. On a small scale. The indie background of festival darling Thomas McCarthy is brought to light by the film’s very slow pace and its reluctance to get going. Otherwise, anyone who has seen at least two Hollywood sports dramas will find the plot to be as transparent as the glass in a trophy case. Unlike The Station Agent and The Visitor, Win Win did not appeal to me at all, despite being more complex in its interest in the broader context of its characters’ bad mood (crisis, stress, pressure and such). I didn’t care why Giamatti is in trouble, how he got into it or how he plans to get out of it, i.e. how he fills his sterilised life. He’s not a suitable actor to play an “average Joe” character, and his mediocrity here manifests as absolute uninterestingness, which is a word that could be applied to the film as a whole. 50% (23/08/2011)

When you hear Win Win, you probably expect a sports-centric movie, and you’d be right, but this indie American film does more than just stick to a formula. It tells a grounded, relatable story in the most natural way possible. The performances are top-notch across the board, with Paul Giamatti standing out, alongside his quirky friend played by Bobby Cannavale and the young, promising Alex Shaffer. It’s a great film—simple, human, and effortlessly authentic. Sometimes, all you need is an ordinary story told well, and this one delivers. And of course, you find yourself rooting for that happy ending. (05/11/2011)

Paul Giamatti is a great actor and with Win Win he proved it again. Thanks to him, but also thanks to the other actors, this film is presented in a way that keeps you entertained. Even though it's about growing up, about how we can fuck up our lives, it's presented in such a way that you won't feel like you've seen this a hundred times before. (28/06/2017)