50/50 (2011) Review

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.... I find a film much more interesting when it deals with a compelling issue and resolves it through moralistic values. This way, when a film doesn't exactly have memorable characters or settings, I can still have something to hold onto when I leave the theater. Furthermore, I like it when a film attempts to combine such compelling drama with witty humor. This essentially gives a film heart, and it also manages to keep the plot exciting. I've reviewed many films in the past that have done this, and simply cutting to the chase...... Here's another one! 50/50!



The film follows Adam, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Adam's living a simple, straight-forward life where the only real problem at this point is that he still doesn't have his license. He goes to a doctor to treat a back pain he's been feeling lately, and the doctor informs him that he has a back tumor. This cancer ends up sending his life plummeting; his girlfriend starts cheating on him, his mother's becoming more overprotective, and he eventually has to shave his head. His buddy, Kyle, played by Seth Rogen, tries to help him live the life that he's been too cautious to live in the past by taking him out to hook up with some hot chicks and smoke marijuana. Meanwhile, Adam's also going to see a trainee therapist named Katherine, played by Anna Kendrick (who you might recognize as Scott Pilgrim's sister).


All throughout the film, Kyle, Adam's mother, and Katherine are attempting to help Adam through the well-known troubles of cancer, but he feels that none of them are helping. Kyle's a selfish bastard who cares about nothing other than hooking up with sluts rather than actually trying to help him. His mom's overprotective nature comes off as annoying because Adam's old enough that he should be able to take care of himself. Worst of all, Katherine keeps trying to get him to relax and see the brighter side of life when his mind is focused on the negative side. Everyone keeps telling him that he's going to be alright, but all that's on his mind is that he's going to die. It's essentially a 50/50 chance (hence the title), but he can't help but fear for the worse.


When I first heard the premise for this film, I thought it was going to be about the protagonist trying to do all the things that he wants to do in life before he reaches what could be the end of the line. That's a pretty cliched premise, but 50/50 takes an entirely different route. As I mentioned, Kyle tries to get Adam to do all the things he was too afraid to do before, and Adam ends up finding that selfish. There's literally only one scene where he talks about the things he wanted to do throughout life, but probably won't be able to do. After that, he gets prepped for the surgery that could cure his cancer. At that point, the audience feels suspense (or at least I did) because they've been able to connect with the character and they want him to survive.


One thing that really makes this film work is that its highly familiar cast is stellar. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a great actor, and he pulls off both the simplicity of the character and the emotions that he goes through. Seth Rogen can be funny when he's given something to do, and unlike The Green Hornet where he mostly just roared like a bear, his character here is given a lot of funny lines. Anna Kendrick is completely believable as the heartfelt woman who's trying her best to help her third patient but can't help but fear that all her work won't pay off. The rest of the actors are solid in their roles, though I will admit that Bryce Dallas Howard as Adam's girlfriend was a tiny bit stale; thankfully, she only takes up about a third of the movie.


So yeah, 50/50 is a highly compelling film that deals with cancer in a manner that even people not too familiar with the troubles of cancer can connect with. It dwells more into the idea that one has wasted his entire life at what could be the end of the line, which kind of reminds me of my last few days in high school. The performances are just as great as you would expect, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt selling his character just as well as he did in (500) Days of Summer. The soundtrack is stellar, the cinematography is pretty neat, and the dialogue knows when to be funny and when to be serious.


This film is worth $17 out of $20.


Thanks for reading!