"You can't change your situation. The only thing that you can change is how you choose to deal with it"
Subtlety. Its something that is lost in this age of 3D and big budget explosions. The ability to express emotion and a message without beating your audience over the head with it is truly something that is on the endangered species list. 50/50 manages to bring the idea back to life.
The Movie focuses on Adam, a young man (Joseph Gordon Levitt) who lives an average life. He works for a radio station, has a serious girlfriend and boneheaded best friend (Seth Rogan) that he kills time with. He has loving parents, although his father has been stricken with Alzheimer's. After experiencing back pain, Adam goes to see a doctor, and soon after finds out that he has a rare form of spinal cancer. The news effects him and everyone around him. The only solace he is able to find is in his discussions with his grief counselor (Anna Kendrick).
The main thing that needs to be mentioned about this movie is the acting performances. I have always been a big fan of Gordon Levitt. He seems to be able to play these "every guy" roles with such ease and believability that you forget that this guy is a big time Hollywood actor, and just think of him as some guy you meet on the street. Here he shines again as an overwhelmed twenty something who thinks he has his life together and one day, everything he knows is wrong. Theres a point in the movie where he says he just feels a nothingness inside of him, and in that moment, you can see the very expression on his face. Rogan, while playing his usual stoner self, adds a little twist on his normal character. Yes Kyle likes to go out, get drunk, get high, and hit on girls; but he also is such a caring friend and loves Adam so much, that he would do anything in the world for his friend. Kendrick is fantastic as Adam's therapist and Anjelica Huston almost steals the show as Adams mom, dealing with a son who has cancer and a husband who has Dementia.
Jonathon Levine is a relative unknown as a director, and this is by far his most mainstream work yet. For someone with such little experience its refreshing to see him realize the talent he has involved in this movie, and he lets the actors carry the film. He does not aim to tug at the audiences heart strings, nor does he try to make the actions of Seth Rogan to over the top. He just lets the fantastic cast do there thing, and the result is a motion picture that makes you laugh and cry all at the same time
50/50 is one of the best movies i have seen this year. A lot of people have not seen this movie because they think it will be too sad and too much of a downer. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, there are definitely moments in the movie that made me cry. But these moments are so genuine and earned. The movie is a roller coaster ride of emotions, and that is why i enjoyed. So yes you may cry, but you will also smile, and laugh, sigh, and swear. I guess that's my not so subtle way of telling you to go see this movie
Rating: 9 out of 10
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