A fine movie - in context

Rating: Null/10 (18 May 2011)

After reading the reviews of this movie, it struck me that most reviewers tend not to contextualize their criticism or praise and that is left in the hands of the reader to sort out, if possible. This could be true of almost any movie, but the reason I am writing this here is because I think "Win Win" is a very good movie if taken in context, but can easily prove to be a disappointment if viewed with the wrong expectations.
Win Win is a slice-of-life movie that wavers between a family-oriented Disney drama and a light-hearted adult time-filler. I went to see this movie with my 12-year old daughter with the expectation of the former and despite some rather rough language and story concepts a bit beyond a 12-year old's comprehension, it pretty much hit the mark. It was not the best movie even of its genre, but if looking for something beyond Pixar or Hannah Montana for depth, Win Win is well-worth the admission price. There are few surprises here, but the acting and strong characters more than compensate for any script shortcomings or challenging story lines.
If your expectation is to be dazzled or have your heart-strings played, well, you probably will be disappointed, but if you are looking for a decent movie to share with teenage kids, this will work quite well.