WIN WIN Review

Paul Giamatti does an 'as expected' job in this dramatic story of financial despair, under-appreciated wrestling coach, honesty and apathy.

Yes, high school wrestling. That is the draw for "Win Win." The writers try to put together an excellent story, but with some 'low budget' performances and too many sub-plots occurring simultaneously, the film (and viewer) is left a bit strung out. If they were to narrow it down, we may have a perfect picture. The performances by the assistant coaches were spot on. The real life NJ State high school champion wrestler puts on an amateur performance.

The language was a bit much and is also the reason for the R rating. My personal bias and love of high school wrestling will undoubtedly skew my overall rating. The gaping holes in the plot and untied knots in the end hurt the movie. If you enjoyed the style of 'Cedar Rapids' and 'Little Miss Sunshine,' then you will enjoy sitting through this candid tale. Win Win will pull a 3 out of 5 Cyclone rating.


Jeremy Brickner
CycloneMovies.com Critic