TheRetroCritic

Here's one I was really looking forward to. When you're a fan of David Cronenberg's stranger works, seeing him make relatively straight-forward films like History Of Violence or A Dangerous Method is always a bit disappointing. No matter how good those movies are, you just want the guy to go all out Videodrome -style, blow-up some heads or just put messed-up images in your head (the birth dream sequence from The Fly , anyone?). I guess the director's style had to mature at some point but personally, with the exception of Eastern Promises , I haven't truly been impressed by the director's work since eXistenZ . And I still haven't. Cosmopolis has received mixed reviews thusfar with some praising its daring, mostly limo-set plot and message, while others calling it "shallow" and "self-indulgent"... because it is. Frankly, this is not a good movie. And I don't say that because I didn't get it, quite the opposite, Cosmo

Indie movie king Paul Giamatti stars as a desperate attorney/wrestling coach who decides to bend the law in order to keep himself afloat financially. Unfortunately with the unexpected arrival of a runaway kid at his doorstep, things soon get more complicated than he had originally anticipated. Giamatti can do that type of role in his sleep but somehow he keeps his performances fresh and fun everytime: this one's thankfully no exception and he elevates what could have easily felt as a slight, studenty-style little flick into something more prominent and heartfelt. Films like this often fall into the trap of wanting to be too quirky or cool and ending up feeling forced ( Juno ?) thankfully Win Win is grounded enough that it never feels the need to overcompensate for anything. The premise follows a flawed but well-meaning character through a little journey of self-work while tricking you into thinking this is nothing but a wrestling movie (it's really not) in order to bring a