Review of 50/50 (2011) by Halfwelshman — 02 Dec 2011

50/50 is a comedy drama with a main emphasis on the drama. Yes there are funny moments, but the subject matter (a young man getting cancer) is do damn depressing that they do little to lighten the mood.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt puts in the performance of his career as the cancer-stricken Adam Lerner - he is for the most part understated, yet always compelling and really brings home the unimaginable struggle of someone in his position.

Anna Kendrick also impresses as Adam's young psychotherapist, believably showing someone who's read all the textbooks but lacks an appropriate bedside manner due to her inexperience, and Angelica Huston also impresses, playing Adam's caring and protective, yet shunned mother.

The film, in the end, is more about how cancer affects those closest to you rather than the afflicted individual, though the scenes taking place in hospital are still harrowing. 50/50 really brings across how close friends and family are unable to deal with such disastrous news as finding out that someone close to you may soon die - they try their best to be strong and supportive, but can never imagine what the afflicted person is going through.

It's highly emotional, and at times hard to watch (particularly for a film spanning 100 minutes). the film is by no means perfect - Brycle Dallas Howard's character is pretty redundant - it almost seems like the filmmakers added her simply to have someone abandoning Adam due to his illness, and therefore have the full range of reactions to his condition, and some of the extended tear-jerking scenes, though they serve their purpose by provoking an emotional response, can remind you a little too much of an episode of Scrubs.

Despite this comparison, it is as a drama that 50/50 is most effective - as a comedy, I'm not sure. There are laughs to be had in the awkward responses Adam gets from various people when they find out about his dire situation, but Seth Rogen's character of best friend Kyle does also persuade the terminally ill Adam to use his condition to get laid, which I found a little tasteless.

It's an undeniably brave film about cancer how it can change the lives of not only the person afflicted, and it has some extremely memorable performances, but 50/50 has the odd stumble in terms of tone - as a drama it's moving, as a comedy, the subject matter offers little scope.