Win Win
Win Win is released in cinemas 20th May with Paul Giamatti taking the leading role as Mike Flaherty -a discouraged attorney and wrestling coach, who stumbles upon a star wrestler through unusual circumstances.
Giamatti started his career as a supporting actor in many commercially successful films before he shot to fame and was casted in more prominent lead roles. We’ve decided to celebrate the theatrical release of Win Win by showcasing Giamatti’s appearances in his Top 10 Films.
- The Truman Show (1998)
Here we have one of Paul’s earlier appearances where he had a small part playing the Control Room Director.
Even though it was a small part his role was vital in supervising the overnight shift and watching Truman sleep, but things start to go wrong as he loses track of the star in the reality show.
- Sideways (2004)
This film really started to kick off Giamatti’s career where he received mainstream recognition and fame through this independent romantic comedy. He played the middle-aged character - Miles, who’s a depressed writer with not much to show for it who goes on a road trip with his friend to the Santa Barbara wine country.
This film got him nominated for a Golden Globe and he won an Independent Spirit Award among many other awards too.
- Cinderella Man (2005)
Following on from his success with Sideways, Giamatti earned a selection of awards and nominations including an Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination and won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor in Cinderella Man.
A film inspired from the true life story of heavyweight boxing champ James J. Braddock. Giamatti plays the role of Joe Gould, the boxing champ’s long time friend and manager.
Faced with tough challenges ahead of them you can see how the talent of the acting won them many awards and nominations.
- Lady in the Water (2006)
There may have been some questionable reviews for this film but as Giamatti takes the leading role in this fantasy thriller, we believe it still deserves its place in the Top 10.
He plays Cleveland Heep who works as a maintenance man and discovers a young lady in the swimming pool at his apartment complex. Being a fantasy film there’s a blue world, wolf like creatures and a water nymph!
- The Illusionist (2006)
In the same year as Lady in the Water, The Illusionist was also released premiering at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, where Giamatti co stars along Edward Norton and plays the Chief Inspector Walter Uhl, who has to try to keep the magician away from the object of his desire.
- Shoot Em’ Up (2007)
We now get to see Giamatti in a completely different light as he plays a character called Hertz. He’s a violent and ruthless hit man who has a sick sexual obsession especially towards dead woman.
Not sounding like a character that you’d really want to cross!
This film actually had a specific guerrilla type marketing campaign to promote the film where it promoted the use of bullet-proof prams and riot helmets for children, clearly a hoax, but not for some people in the media and blogging community who took it very seriously.
- Duplicity (2009)
A romantic comedy spy film where Giamatti stars as Richard Garsik, the CEO of a company called Equikrom who have a longstanding rivalry with a company called Burkett & Randle. Unbeknown to Garsik two corporate spies plan to pull off the ultimate con job on their corporate bosses.
- The Last Station (2009)
The Last Station was based on a 1990 biographical novel of the same name, a historical drama that follows the Russian author Count Leo Tolstoy’s struggle to balance fame and wealth. Giamatti plays Vladimir Chertkov the devoted count’s secretary and writer.
- Barney’s Version (2010)
Based on the novel of the same name, Barney’s Version is a Canadian comedy drama based on the life of Barney Panofsky played by Giamatti.
The 65 year old foul-mouthed, hard drinking and cigar smoking individual reflects on his life including the successes and failures, making him focus on the final chapters.
- Win Win (2011)
13 years on from The Truman Show and Paul Giamatti once again proves himself as an outstanding multi talented actor in Win Win.
His latest film portrays him as a struggling for money attorney (Mike) that is losing faith in the wrestling team that he coaches, until a young star wrestler comes into his family’s life through very unusual circumstances. Kyle - the star wrestler is about to make a change to everyone’s life but things aren’t always really that simple (unfortunately!)
Don’t miss Giamatti in his latest sport comedy drama; there are definitely lots of laughs to be had. Catch it at cinemas 20th May.
Tagged in PAUL GIAMATTI