Review of 50/50 (2011) by Campbell P — 11 Oct 2015

50/50 is yet another example of how you should never determine the outcome of a movie until viewing it yourself. Anyone can jump to the conclusion that this movie wouldn't work due to the casting of stoner comedy actor Seth Rogen.

Not only was Seth Rogen really good but the movie he was in was phenomenal! The plot of 50/50 consists of the life of Adam (played by Joseph Gordon Levitt) who finds out that he has a tumor growing in his spine and that there's a 50/50 chance that he will survive.

As weird as this sounds, this is most likely the funniest movie about cancer you'll ever see. There a lot of humor that makes a depressing and sad situation seem lighter in heaviness of the fact that Adam may not survive.

This adds an on edge experience to an otherwise funny movie. The character of Adam I really enjoyed because of his attitude. He doesn't always accept the fact that he may die and when he does accept that he has a poor attitude and doesn't know how to handle it in the best ways.

He lashed out at people and treats them like garbage even. He's vulnerable and nervous and I really believed Gordon Levitt's performance. Seth Rogen was perfectly cast as Kyle, he was the brightness at the end of the tunnel.

Like Adam, he couldn't channel his emotions very well either with people. Deep down everyone hides their emotions and even though they don't always show it, they care. Adam wasn't able to realize the way he was treating people until he talked to someone.

Katherine was the perfect and believable significant alter for Adam because of the way that they connected with each other and knew each other's flaws when they themselves couldn't realize them.

There's also multiple takeaways from 50/50 that apply to everyday life like realizing what you have and treating it respectfully. But not only that but also to find hope at the end of it all. Adam is told to have hold throughout it all and that even though he feels alienated that there are people all around him that care.

This whole experience changed Adam's life around as well as everyone around him and while not all of that was positive, he still learned that it's important to have an open mind about the situation.

There were more than a few emotional scenes that didn't feel fake or forced, they felt real. When a situation as sad as this feels real, there's something special to behold. 50/50 is not your typical film.

At one point it feels like a downer and then brightens up, it made me laugh in one scene and then cry in the next. It was endless entertainment and a really great time to watch. A.