Win Win

[thanks]

Just seen this in Watford. Dreadful film. So slow, contrived and unbelievable. My teen daughter also was not impressed - even with the lead boy wrestler. Not sure who this film is aimed at.

[mattymc13]

My thoughts on this are quite straightforward. It was a deeply dull opening 40 minutes or so. You can engage with the male lead and understand his predicament, but that is about the only interesting thing about the opening portion. It improved significantly when it drifted away from it all being about the wrestling, and Kyle specifically. I like wrestling or combat of any description, but it was so dull to watch. I'm not sure what the guy playing Kyle was doing throughout the film. Did they get somebody in who can wrestle but can't act? I can't imagine a performance so wooden and tedious was intentional. If it was, there's hope for the aspiring actor in us all. The most interesting thing about the film by far was the moral dilemma Paul Giamatti's character was facing. It completely dominated everything else on the screen, and you're just waiting for it to get out of control. The Grandad with the early dementia was sweet, and it will hit home with many people because this stuff really does go on frequently. But after reading reviews for this film, I am completely baffled by the overwhelming amount of favourable reviews. It's just so tepid. I think also to call it a comedy is debatable. I laughed once, but in fairness to it, I am becoming notoriously hard to please.

**1/2

[raj101]

its dull to start with, but offers realism that gives the issues it deals with more depth. Its well filmed and gently paced so its not something you can watch after coming out of, say, Attack The Block. The change in gears is too much for the brain (well it was for me).

This would be a fine tv movie. 7/10

[June]

I quite enjoyed this film, it was a little different to the other films I have watched lately

[TheyCallMeMrGlass]

I'm so sorry some of you got turned away

Well if it makes you feel any better, you didn't miss much. It's not a bad film, in fact its a sweet melodrama but its just that. The film would have been a fraction of what is without Paul Giamatti's always reassuring performance. It's a role he plays a million times but I never tire of it and and thank god because the supporting actors felt quite amateurish, delivering their lines in a very heavy handed or stilted way. Well except for two, the assistant coach, who was pretty funny, and the drug addict mother who looks suspiciously like Maggie from Extras and acts just as brilliantly. There was plenty of subtle humour throughout but the story was hardly gripping enough.

I give this a likable 6.5/10 mainly for Giamatti.

[alythonian]

Saw this in Edinburgh - 70% full.

I really enjoyed it and thought Paul Giamatta gave an excellent performance. The kid playing Kyle was also very good.

It was different and yes it was slow, but it was thought provoking and relevant in the current economic climate.

7.5/10 from me.

It's good to be back. hello everyone.

[stuartboy]

I also saw this in Edinburgh and thought it was totally full. I HAD to sit on front row which I HATE doing at this cinema as your nose is almost touching the screen. Was in by about 6.15pm, and almost everyone that arrived after us ended up leaving as there were no seats left.

I actually thouroughly enjoyed this film. I thought the story was entertaining and the acting was great. The boy Kyle is actually a champion wrestler, having only had one acting part in a theatre play before. I did think his performance of a sullen moody typical teenager (apologies Weirdfilms33!!) was spot on. I think this was just him though rather than amazing acting. It was all believeable.
Someome has already pointed out that this is like an Indie The Blind Side. I agree. 9/10 for me.

[Beate]

The film wasn't really about the wrestling though. It was about the fact that this boy, who had a difficult childhood which led him to once steal a car, basically had better manners and a better-tuned morale compass and integrity than his Mum or Paul Giamatti who both tried to use his Granddad who suffered from Alzheimers (though you wouldn't have known it as he appeared entirely normal in the film) for their own personal and financial gains. It was about Giamatti's journey to realise what Kyle brought into his life and to become less self-centred. Kyle bascially got on with everybody - with his Granddad, his wrestling team mates, Giamatti's family. It was a very real story and I couldn't find it boring at all.

[June]

I viewed this as a film about second chances rather than a wrestling film.

[Ms Thrifty]

I really enjoyed this and don't think I was influenced by the fact that it was my first film, free or pa*d, since 5 April!

I thought it was another typical, quirky indie film. OH and I saw it at Cineworld (thanks again to funthing29) which wasn't even half-full, so reports of screenings being full or even over-subscribed elsewhere are surprising. I think Cineworld picked the right comparators in saying "See it if you liked...Little Miss Sunshine, The Visitor etc".

OH did his usual thing of sinking back into his seat, laughing out loud and giving every appearance of relishing the film, only to disparage it afterwards; maybe I'm easily pleased and perhaps that's a good thing sometimes...