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Win Win (15)

Comedy, Drama

Disheartened attorney Mike Flaherty (Giamatti), who moonlights as a high school wrestling coach, stumbles across a star athlete through some questionable business dealings while trying to support his family. Just as it looks like he will get a double payday, the boy's mother shows up fresh from rehab and flat broke, threatening to derail everything.


The critical consensus

The result is a sharply observed film that doesn’t draw its characters as black-and-white cutouts.

****(*)James Mottram, The List, 18/04/2011

Some accomplished turns, and the mood of downbeat quirkiness has its appeal. Plot contrivances scupper it though, and given McCarthy’s track record it’s a letdown.

***(*)(*)Philip Kemp, Total Film, 09/05/2011

Funny, agreeable and thoroughly enjoyable, if a little bit too neat and fortuitous in sorting out its entangled strands.

***(*)(*)Angie Errigo, Empire Online, 16/05/2011

Funny, compassionate and authentic. In a bombastic blockbuster season, such quiet pleasures are to be savoured.

****(*)Siobhan Synnot, The Scotsman, 17/05/2011

Frankly, it's a crying shame that such a bighearted movie should receive a 15 rating for a few scenes of swearing (fully justified within the context), but that's just about the only downside to this marvellous picture.

*****Philip Concannon, The Skinny, 16/05/2011

A winner, with a star making performance from Eminem-lookalike Shaffer.

****(*)Alison Rowat, The Herald, 19/05/2011

Rings much truer than most.

***(*)(*)Antonia Quirke, Financial Times, 18/05/2011

Honest, insightful, warm and witty. A proper delight.

Matt Bochenski, Little White Lies, 19/05/2011

The message seems to be: "bad shit happens to other people, but we can learn from that". That's not win-win, it's lose-win.

**(*)(*)(*)Steve Rose, The Guardian, 19/05/2011

McCarthy knows his characters and likes them, and somehow he ensures that we feel the same way. I'd say that's a win-win.

****(*)Anthony Quinn, The Independent, 20/05/2011

A disappointing drama.

**(*)(*)(*)Daily Record, 20/05/2011

The characters are sympathetic and it's very nicely performed.

***(*)(*)Henry Fitzherbert, Daily Express, 20/05/2011

Lots of wit, warmth, sharp timing and wonderful characters.

Paul Greenwood, Evening Times, 19/05/2011

Peppered with nicely observed, heartfelt moments that underscore the value of striving to be a good person, Win Win manages that rare feat of being good comfort viewing without feeling too comfortable itself.

****(*)Alistair Harkness, The Scotsman, 21/05/2011

This is one of those beautifully observed and absorbing comedies, about nothing and everything, which make American independent cinema invaluable.

Demetrios Matheou, The Independent on Sunday, 22/05/2011

Win Win remains a deft, warm, serious and often very funny film.

Philip French, The Observer, 22/05/2011

Where and when?

General release. Check local listings for show times.

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