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Critics Consensus: Win It All finds writer-director Joe Swanberg working in a comparatively mainstream vein -- and striking another collaborative spark with leading man Jake Johnson.
Critic Consensus: Win It All finds writer-director Joe Swanberg working in a comparatively mainstream vein -- and striking another collaborative spark with leading man Jake Johnson.
All Critics (37) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (32) | Rotten (5)
Win It All is just the latest stellar collaboration between Swanberg and Johnson.
For the high stakes involved, Win It All feels strictly low stakes.
There's enough disreputable behavior bookending the righteousness, and enough solid jokes along the way, to make the effort moderately entertaining.
"Win It All" is a small character drama that, through improvisation, renders relationships impeccably; it's at once specific and universal. But "Win It All" is also a new look for Swanberg. It's the first film he has made that has a script.
Swanberg has delivered his most traditional movie to date -- and for this prolific filmmaker, who spent ages defying conventions, that's nothing short of a radical step forward.
Swanberg-aided greatly by Johnson's vigorous performance-makes the gambler's panic-stricken silence all the more agonizing, balancing the warm veneer of intimate normalcy with the inner chill of secrets and lies.
The balance between those two impulses - great human tragedy boiled into an almost Shakespearean comedy - is played with throughout and the result is nothing shy of delightful.
Jake Johnson carries Win It All with ease until the final act when the film ultimately loses its way.
Jake Johnson brings a type of charisma and serious humor that's no different than his past roles in New Girl and Drinking Buddies. His way of acting really helps to tell a very real story of a man on a downward spiral.
So much of the film's comedy and sweetness stems from Eddie acknowledging that its time to grow up and take personal responsibility. You know, the stuff that's usually jammed into a third act montage in most comedies.
In Johnson, an endearing wiseass, Swanberg has found his ideal muse.
Win It All has a wonderful lived-in tone and style, thanks to how Swanberg films and edits his movies. It's tense, funny, well-structured and carried by strong performances. And yet, there is something off about it.
Simple stories can offer the most sincere acting. On paper, Win It All appears a generic gambling-gone-wrong film. And while the story doesn't deviate too much from this perceived notion, the cast and characters elevate the film exponentially. Particularly, the relationship between brothers Eddie (Johnson) and Ron (Truglio) is incredibly moving and realistic. Lastly, though the film sports comedic actors like Keegan-Michael Key and Joe Lo Truglio, Win It All rarely feels like a comedy. I never found myself laughing, or on the verge of doing so. There are serious implications to the characters' actions; few of those implications positive. But generally, Win It All does manage to put you in a feel-good mood - it'll just take uneasy moments to get there.
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