Win Win: Paul Giamatti Wrestles With a Teenage Boy
Here's a trailer for Win Win, the new movie from Tom McCarthy, the actor/writer/director whose previous works, The Station Agent and The Visitor, garnered much acclaim. In this one Paul Giamatti plays a lawyer and wrestling coach grappling with life.
On paper this looks like your typical "sad sack man is saved by sudden arrival of kid who changes his life" movie, but McCarthy is likely too subtle and smart to veer into cliche territory. (He skirts the line sometimes, but manages to avoid crossing it somehow.) But yes, a troubled teenager with a shitty, almost nonexistent home life comes to wrestle for the high school team that Giamatti coaches, teaching him about life and winning and whatnot. And what a great cast! Giamatti is joined by Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, and Melanie Lynskey, plus newcomer Alex Shaffer is actually a New Jersey state wrestling champion.
McCarthy, when he isn't busy co-writing Up or acting on The Wire, makes interesting films, and judging by reviews from Sundance, this one won't break his winning streak.