'Bridesmaids' you may still be able to catch in theaters; 'Win Win' DEFINITELY not. So...
Giamatti and Verisimilitude and Cannavale. ...Sold!
Making good slice-of-life movies these days has to be difficult. On one side of the business you've got the Academy reiterating how important it is for your movie to be British (and about the trouble expressing emotions when you're British); on the other side, nerds -- so many goddamn nerds! -- dictating creative policy from their parents' basements and/or Gamestop. "I get that the character's an accountant, but wouldn't it be more captivating and, like, post-modern if he were an accountant...to superheroes?" Irony of ironies considering the film on the board today, it's generally a LOSE LOSE scenario out there for any movie without a glossy hook.
Which makes the release of something like Win Win that much more worthy of celebration. The story centers around schlub-tastic North Jersey lawyer and high school wrestling coach Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti), who is struggling in both efforts despite being married to saint-by-way-of-Essex County Amy Ryan. When an easy -- but unethical -- new source of income and wrestling star Kyle (Alex Shaffer) are both serendipitously dropped into his life, Mike is faced with twin moral dilemmas. From its premise to its actors*, there is nothing sexy about this movie. Look at this guy!
NOT SEXY (no offense). The movie might better be called 'Womp Womp' for the number of scenes where Giamatti looks near-suicide or constipation! But in place of sexy are qualities far more consequential: understatement. Sincerity. Humanity. Like a less-stylized Jason Reitman, director Tom McCarthy cares about people and their very normal struggles in a way that today feels almost shockingly rare. "Let's tell 'em how, Henning!" yells the always enthusiastic Bobby Cannavale (*who is very sexy) from just outside the margins. Okay, Bobby Cannavale!
1. "Don't [Patronize] Me, Bro!" A fun activity to play sometimes is imagining movies as done by other directors. Babe, the David Fincher version; Scarface by Woody Allen ("jeez, and I thought I felt inadequate before the chainsaw"). It's endlessly entertaining, and I encourage everyone to try it sometime.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5KfHEoZDKI]
But imagining Win Win in the care of, like, whoever directed Something Borrowed, you begin to get a sense of how much most movies hold your hand. "Your law practice hasn't been doing so well lately, has it, Kevin James?" Jeffrey Tambor might say in the Bizarro-version. "I really think you should consider doing some...under-the-table business, if you know what I mean." One of Win Win's great strengths is the way it handles exposition, giving us everything we need in an offhand look or dialogue that, as it would in real life, dances around the point instead of clearly laying it out. It extends to the physical, too. In one scene, Kyle and his friends are playing a hand-slapping game in the hall. Rather than sit through some contrived "Kyle is becoming a leader!" montage, we just SEE it in his interactions and body language. Todd McCarthy is one of a handful of writer/directors who doesn't think you're a total moron.
2. JERSEY, BABY By the Movie States Theory proposed on this site (and I'm sure nowhere else, ever) more than two years ago, New Jersey on film is shorthand for "blue-collar desperation" in "a place where dreams go to die," usually exemplified by desolate landscape shots and scenes set at the bar 'round the corner from the ACME. While Win Win pays lip service to those trends -- and adds a healthy dose of Bon Jovi and "oh hell no" lady looks
-- McCarthy manages to nail the feeling of New Jersey suburban life without veering into parody. The conversational rhythm of Paul Giamatti and his wife. The particular speech patterns of high-schoolers (who crack up at a "take them from behind" slip from coach Giamatti, the way any high-schooler would). THAT ONE LANKY TEAMMATE WHO NEVER ACTUALLY COMPETES BUT IS ALWAYS JUST SORT OF HANGING AROUND?!? Perfect, truly. It's not like verisimilitude should be the stated purpose of every movie, or even any movie -- that's a relatively hollow aspiration, detached from drama. But when you can marry a good, human-centered story to a real depiction of a real place (or at least real environment)? That takes special skill.
3. Other Stuff If you want an actor who can convincingly play a high schooler, cast a real high schooler. The kid won't even have to get into character! McCarthy did just that bringing on Alex Shaffer to play Kyle, and the lack of actorly pretense or self-consciousness he brings to the part is what makes the whole movie. Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Bobby Boy -- they're across-the-board fantastic. But what Shaffer proves is that it's not always capital-A ACTING that's necessary for a movie to succeed – it's any number of non-mathematical factors. His ability to convincingly wear a wrestling uni while getting knocked on the side of the head here is just icing on the cake.
You already decided (with your WALLETS) earlier this year to ignore or actively avoid Win Win, but you have a chance in late August to rectify your mistake when it comes out on home video! I know, I know -- even after a rambling love letter from yours truly, you're still not totally convinced Win Win is for you. That's why we developed a simple system to help you decide:
Q: Will I like it? A: Do you like GOOD MOVIES?
FOG OUT.