Mike worked as a lawyer in the small town of New Providence, New Jersey (population 12,000, 50 kilometers from Manhattan). He is not the kind who wages thousands of dollars an hour and is litigating OJ Simpson. The main target of his services is the elderly, and his business is not prosperous. He called his lawyer friend, hoping to get some leftovers, but this wish could not be realized. Maybe it has something to do with the continuing economic downturn in the United States? Although living a middle-class life with cars and houses, maintaining normal operations is far from easy. Can't afford to ask others, Mike can only solve the computer malfunction by himself. When I was with friends, everyone always drank cheap Budweiser and Budweiser ale. European brands or American craft beer have never appeared. On the one hand, the director may have accepted Budweiser’s product placement ads. On the other hand, drinking the most common domestic beer is indeed in line with Mikes’ actual consumption habits. The boiler in the office was already making a weird noise, and Mike could only endure it because repairs cost $6,000. His reaction to the price was quite strong, as if he was stung severely by a venomous wasp.
In such a financial situation, facing the additional income of $1,500 per month, it is difficult for Mike to remain unmoved, even if doing so violates the lawyer's professional standards. He was tempted, at the cost of violating professional standards. In court, he found an excuse to make himself Leo's legal guardian. Leo lives alone, and he can still find a home, but he has obviously begun to fight amnesia. After Mike sent him to the nursing home, a win-win situation was formed: Mike got the subsidy, and Leo was well taken care of. Giamatti showed Mike's self-condemnation that never disappeared since he got the bargain, with no bluntness.
After these two things are not enough, Mike is eager for another victory. He was the coach of the wrestling team in the small town high school in his spare time, and they had never won much. Only after Kyle appeared did Mike's second career come to life. Kyle is Leo's grandson (the two have never seen each other). He traveled all the way from Ohio to New Jersey by coach in order to escape his drug-addicted mother. Kyle has a grandfather and a mother, but he can't talk about having a family. Only Mike and his wife give the young people real warmth. Kyle has won good results in Ohio high school games, and his sports talents soon showed up, leading the wrestling team from victory to victory.
I looked at my watch in doubt, and the movie was only a little more than halfway through at this time. Is this an inspirational film? A quasi-homeless child is taken in by well-wishers and completely changes his life through sports? But what should we do next? Unlike American football, basketball, baseball, and ice hockey, wrestling does not provide the prospect of getting rich immediately after professionalization, and Americans never rely on such events to win medals in the Olympics. How can the story go on?
Director Thomas McCarthy's previous two films "Station Agent" and "The Visitor" are small, exquisite and unconventional independent productions, and "Win-Win" is his third Works. After Kyle's mother Cindy appeared, the film really entered the stage of drama conflict, and the story began to move away from the routine of "developing sports and enhancing social justice". She just came out of the drug rehabilitation center, she went to New Jersey only for money, and she was the reason Kyle could not continue to win on the court. Other characters portrayed in the movie have their own shortcomings, but also have many advantages, whether they are funny, enthusiastic, or honest, just like most ordinary people in real life. With the exception of Cindy, it is difficult for her to make a good impression. Think about it. After seeing her, the son didn't rush into his arms, but fled through the window. How much can such a mother score?
Except for Cindy, McCarthy is very generous to other characters, which is his consistent creative attitude. In "Mind Station", the male protagonist Finba is a dwarf, but two women of different ages are willing to give him warmth and trust. The librarian played by Michelle Williams really kissed him. In "Visitor of Life", the professor also readily accepts illegal immigrants who break into his home, and tries his best to help them get out of their plight. In "Win-Win", McCarthy's depiction of the protagonist Mike's living conditions has a lot of funny elements, but I don't feel that it includes malicious mockery and condescending instruction. Kyle appeared as a rebellious and rebellious person. He was smoking a cigarette and seemed to care about everything around him, including the advice to quit smoking. After throwing himself into the wrestling match, he immediately became self-disciplined, not to mention smoking cessation smoothly, and morning exercises can also endure hardship. One morning Mike heard something in the house, only to find that it was Kyle who went home after running. When Mike went to bed again, the alarm clock said 5:53.
It is also because of the generosity of the director, or because the warmth of American liberals is sometimes too hot. The conflicts in the film are either not strong enough or resolved too easily. It seems a serious challenge, but finding an antidote is effortless. Kyle performed well on the wrestling field, and Mike asked him to introduce his experience to his teammates. My expectations are high, just like waiting for James to be interviewed after the NBA live broadcast. As a result, Kyle only said "Whatever the fuck it takes." After the truth of Mike's violation was revealed, the people around him quickly gave forgiveness without waiting for him to go through the painful process of self-interrogation. Everything was instantaneous. Normally, everyone returned to the peaceful middle-class suburban life, leaving Cindy back to Ohio with a scapegoat. Mike was punished by going to a bar to work, earning some extra money to subsidize his family. Friends went to see him, and everyone still drank Budweiser beer.
"Win-Win" is a light comedy work. From my personal feelings, it is relatively difficult to understand the comedy elements in American movies than tragedies. When I first came to the United States, if I heard the audience's laughter in the cinema, at least 9 out of 10 times would make me feel baffled. After a long period of time, I felt a gradual co-production. I didn't understand why the other audiences in the movie theater laughed, and then I managed to laugh with everyone. Now that it has risen to a higher level, I can occasionally lead a laugh. Of course, there are times when the leader makes mistakes. Fortunately, I never feel embarrassed. I basically don’t watch action comedies that are exaggerated and funny. I only accept movies like "Win-Win" that rely more on language, knowledge, and wisdom to make jokes. Many comedy elements can easily overcome cultural restrictions and are still effective in a new context after translation. Materials that rely solely on language are difficult, such as puns. In order to relieve Mike's mental stress, the doctor prescribed him "running", so he often runs. The daughter didn’t understand, she asked, (running) from what?
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