50/50 (Summit Entertainment)
Rated R for language throughout, sexual content and some drug use.
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anjelica Huston, Serge Houde, Philip Baker Hall, Matt Frewer.
Written by Will Reiser.
Directed by Jonathan Levine.
GRADE: A
REVIEW:
Cancer is not funny. It isn't romantic, and it's usually a major downer in any film, no matter how well it's written, directed or performed. I was skeptical that 50/50 would do anything to disprove this notion, but kept an open mind as I attended the screening.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Adam, a Seattle public radio producer who's played it safe his whole life, but gets broadsided when he discovers he has a malignant tumor on his spine, with a 50/50 chance of survival. Adam's best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen), his mother Diane (Anjelica Huston) and girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard) all jump to support the young cancer patient in his darkest hour, but Adam has a tough time dealing with the attention. Adam finds some kinship with two older cancer patients (Philip Baker Hall and Matt Frewer) who share stories, marijuana cookies and laughs as they take chemotherapy together. Adam also attends counseling sessions with a graduate student named Katie (Anna Kendrick), who is very inexperienced and younger than him.
As his chemo wears on, Adam's relationship with Rachael disintegrates, and he is left with only Kyle's support, who seems more interested in using his buddy's cancer to score with women and get high. Adam also does everything he can to avoid his worrisome, smothering mother until his cancer does not respond very well to the chemo.
Adam is soon faced with life-threatening surgery, and is forced to come to terms with his mother, Kyle, and a possible budding relationship with Katie.
50/50 is neither a romantic comedy or a bonafide drama, but it delivers in both categories with flying colors. With such a dark subject matter like malignant cancer, 50/50 might seem a little depressing, but the movie avoids falling into the same sentimental traps of other "cancer" dramas.
The beauty of 50/50 is the simple balance it discovers between the funny and the sad, without the necessity of delivering blatant messages or speeches that are supposed to affirm life. 50/50 also finds redemption for all its characters, and allows the audience to feel real sympathy for their plight, unlike last year's horrible 'dramedy' Funny People (also starring Rogen in an eerily similar role as buddy to a cancer patient).
The performance of Joseph Gordon-Levitt should come up when Oscar nominations are considered, and deservedly so. While sort of drab throughout the first half of the movie, Gordon-Levitt gears up for a powerful finale.
Other performers are equally brilliant, including Bryce Dallas Howard as Adam's unfaithful girlfriend, Anna Kendrick as his new love interest, and Huston as a mother burdened with a son who will barely acknowledge her as he faces death.
The biggest surprise among the 50/50 cast is Rogen, who more than covers most of the humorous moments you're not sure you should be laughing at, while keeping to a script. Rogen has the tendency to curse for the sake of cursing, and going off on rants about marijuana in most of his films, usually given carte blanche to speak whatever crap comes to his mind. It's refreshing to see him play a character with obvious flaws, while showing true character.
Even with an improved performance, Rogen certainly guarantees an R rating for 50/50 with plenty of sex, drug use, cursing and general boorish behavior. The subject matter of cancer and dying should be enough to convince parents to keep the kids away as well.
Even with its adult vices, 50/50 is arguably one of the best films of the year. The movie ventures into dark territory and finds its humanity without getting too sentimental or irreverent toward those who are faced with the reality of cancer.
