Movies about people with cancer are not new. Stories of people who die have won Oscars, built a reputation, and sold millions of boxes of tissues. Find a unique niche in this crowded field is a challenge, but director Jonathan Levine, working with a script by Will Reiser, a discovery. The key to their approach: Living with cancer treated not as a tragedy, but as a comedy, but do it with dignity and respect. It is not an easy thing, to be sure. Too much humor and lost people. Too little and it becomes a comedy for a lifetime. Balance is the key, and largely meets Levine.
Title, 50/50 , referring to the possibility of survival for the protagonist, Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), which states that he has a rare spinal cancer. People react differently to news of their lives. His girlfriend, Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard), is committed to keep her, then leaves the question. His best friend, Kyle (Seth Rogen), trying to keep the spirits of Adam's life, transforming a non-stop party. His mother (Anjelica Huston), goes to the suppression of state, though also manages her husband's Alzheimer's. Even if the chemotherapy, she meets two new friends: Alan (Philip Baker Hall) and Mitch (Matt Frewer), as well as a good therapist, Katherine (Anna Kendrick), whose inexperience will lead him to take more than a professional interest in Adam.
There is no doubt that the basic narrative was compiled in large part 50/50 clichés: a young person with cancer goes through the expected range of emotions, his girlfriend dumps him, he falls in love with his therapist, he befriends a pair of codgers who make important life lessons, etc. What is that which separates 50/50 has a sense of humor. This is not Terms of Endearment, with manipulation and make-up block of each frame. It 's funny and sincere. Levine knows when to tickle funny bone and when to slow things down so you understand the gravity of the situation. Some spectators definitely crying during the movie, but laughs as well.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is an invaluable work as Adam, who spoke for James McElroy in the last minute. Transformation of Gordon-Levitt is an average Seattle-based editor of public radio in a thin, cancer patient-term rigors of chemo is impressive. Instead of wearing a kippa, or using special effects to give it a chrome dome, he chose to shave her head - an activity that occurs on the screen. (If a player who will go that far, it is necessary to be filmed and used, although the latter is obviously not possible.) Is a high impact on performance - as good or better than 90% of "Cancer patients' representations already committed to the screen. Seth Rogen, meanwhile, said the actor once in more serious fare, and it is surprising how friendly they are often abrasive actor in this role. He some hilarious off-color "Rogen-like" lines, but there are also times when it shows more depth than he has exhibited in the past.
Anna Kendrick, who appeared in the movie Twilight, but is best known for Up in the Air, she radiates sweetness and innocence - essential qualities in our power to accept the therapist tired / sick romantic connection. And in small roles, Philip Baker Hall and Matt Frewer flying scenes.
Levine arrives at 50/50 with an unusual resume, which includes all the Boys Love Mandy Lane and The Wackness, it is not surprising that there is much more here than just another production of a guy with cancer . There is a wealth of authenticity in the direction of the film, as Levine and / or the author has endured some of these things. A lot of subtle things, talking about someone with insider knowledge. The comedy is never disrespectful. It is often dark - sometimes to the point of black humor - but it reminds us that there are only two ways to come face to face with mortality: the tears and laughter. And sometimes the closer you get to the truth, it becomes difficult to distinguish. If a message is 50/50 's final communicated clean and clear.