50/50: Movie Review

Hey Folks! Long time no see. Yeah, I haven't written anything here in a while, but I'm here to drop a new movie review.

I know I probably bitch about this every time I review in new film that I have in my collection, and believe me, I still have quite a few and there's more on the way. So, yup, it takes me forever to watch through what I already have; well, to be honest, I just take my sweet ass time about it. Ha!

On top of that, like I said, there are still a few more films that I haven't watched yet, and I'll be picking up some more on Tuesday. Yeah, there's some good releases coming out this Tuesday and I'm gonna get mine, so you should go get yours. What ever that is, of course!

Anyway, on with the review of the film 50/50.

I remember seeing the trailer for this movie some months ago and thinking that the combination of cancer and comedic humor were well put together. The scene from the trailer seemed to put this movie more in the genre of comedy as opposed to a tragic drama. Don't get me wrong, the main character dealing with his situation is very tragic and real. However, the comedic elements seem to compliment and in some cases balance out the serious tone, thus, creating an even story that is about both the journey and the healing.

The story introduces us to Adam (Gordon-Levitt) who is recently diagnosed with spinal cancer. He takes the news much like any person would upon hearing such a life-altering condition. He looks to his girlfriend and his friend for support, and they each show it in their own ways. Although, things of course take a turn and changes have to be made. I'm not trying to give anything away here, so I hope my approach was subtle enough to keep readers still interested. Let's just say that friendships and relationships are tested and here is where the drama and comedic aspects of the film work best and add more depth to the characters.

Seth Rogen plays Adam's best friend Kyle and is the tour de force which lends the humorous tone that keeps the film uplifting. What I enjoyed about Rogen's performance is the fact that he does resemble the bearded buddy that tries his best to comment, compliment and/or lighten up the environment surrounding the main character. The film focuses on their friendship the most and develops in such a way that you understand and get pretty involved in their journey to recovery. Kyle, while outspoken and somewhat brash in nature, is fun and endearing as only Seth Rogen can play him.

The most interesting aspect of the film is seeing how the film makers would approach this combination of Gordon-Levitt and Rogen in regards to having them compliment each other while dealing with Adam's condition. And, I have to say that they worked well together. I also enjoyed watching how the character of Adam learns to cope with his situation. Like any person who is given such news, dealing with cancer is quite a life-altering process, and for Adam the change is very taxing. However, he doesn't deal with this journey of healing alone as his inexperienced therapist Katherine (Anna Kendrick) also accompanies him on his road.

All in all, I enjoyed 50/50 very much and found the story to be a very profound capturing of friendships, healing and emotion. The hospital scene near the end actually resonated with me by capturing a moment where fear and uncertainty left me quite nervous yet hopeful for the outcome.



Again, I really enjoyed this film for it's humor and real approach to dealing with the topic of a life-changing illness.

Until next time, keep smiling!