Win Win

[4.0 stars] [IMDB Link]

[Amazon Link]
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Another box office dud, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Mike, played by Paul Giamatti, is head of the Flaherty household: lovely wife Jackie (Amy Ryan), cute daughters Abby and Stella. Mike is a lawyer, and moonlights as the coach of the local high school's dreadful wrestling team. Unfortunately, he's having problems making ends meet, with seemingly everything at home and office requiring expensive repairs.

So when an opportunity comes for a slight breach of legal ethics, Mike takes it. He relegates Leo, a client with arly-stage Alzheimer's, to the local managed care facility. And Mike pockets the guardianship fees. That's pretty bad, but it's a mark of the filmmakers' talents that Mike remains a sympathetic character.

Soon enough, complications ensue. Leo's grandson Kyle appears (literally) on Leo's doorstep. Good news: Kyle's a decent kid, and a phenomenal wrestling talent. (Dickensian coincidence again.) Bad news: Kyle's mom, Leo's daughter, also shows up, and she's threatening to both Kyle and Mike.

It's rated R for language, but is otherwise a charming and heartwarming comedy/drama. (That probably explains the poor box office results.)


Last Modified 2024-01-28 2:27 PM EDT