A movie chronicling the very brief life of a Canadian pop sensation, a horror movie about an obsessive college roommate, a skewed depiction of Beauty and the Beast starring a girl who loves taking nude photos of herself, and another Big Momma: 2011 has not yet been too good to us with the movies that have been released thus far.
Maybe this is the reason I enjoyed Tom McCarthy’s Win Win so much. For those not familiar with McCarthy, I know him best as the co-writer of one of my favorite movies, Disney and Pixar’s Up. Whether or not it’s comparative, one thing is sure: McCarthy has a knack for making you laugh and making you (almost) cry with the unusual bonds he creates between his characters.
Temple’s own student-run radio, WHIP, hosted a free screening of the Sundance favorite at the Reel, where some lucky winners (including yours truly!) got free movie merchandise such as t-shirts and sweatshirts. Talk about WINNING!
Win Win is the story of mediocre lawyer Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti) whose faltering law practice renders him barely able to make ends meet. He is also a somewhat reluctant coach for the local high school’s less-than-spectacular wrestling team along with Stephen (Arrested Development’s Jeffrey Tambor) and his best friend Terry (a hilarious Bobby Cannavale). In order to keep his financial problems from his family and continue to support them, he takes on legal guardianship of an elderly client, Leo Poplar (Burt Young), whose estate pays $1,500 a month to his guardian. Leo is in the early stages of dementia and wishes to stay in his home, but is moved to an old folks’ home by Flaherty, who thinks he has found the perfect way to make money and not sacrifice his precious time.
That is, until Leo’s grandson, Alex, shows up on his doorstep. Alex appears to be a troubled 16-year-old who eventually forms a bond with his grandfather as well as Mike, who takes him under his wing. Alex turns out to be a stellar wrestler who joins Mike’s team (and family) and begins bringing the team to victory. All is well until Alex’s mother shows up after a stint in rehab and threatens to ruin the harmony that has been created.
It may not be a movie that stays with you forever, or even a few weeks to be honest, but it will make you feel feelings and is most definitely worth a watch. It’s out in theaters now.