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!

Chronicle: Movie Review

 
Most of us are familiar with superhero movies, stories, etc. Some of them are very enjoyable and other not so much. I personally found stories that focused on the inner turmoil of a character trying to balance their powers while remaining a functional member of society to be quite interesting. They seem, at least to me, to be the closest depiction to actual human interaction, while still exploring the limits of superhuman possibility and social/moral acceptance.

What I am talking about? I don't read American comics, hence American superheroes, except through their film adaptations. I do however read Manga and many of their supernatural stories are referenced in the movie Chronicle.

So, the film documents the story of three high schoolers who stumble upon a strange "alien" object buried or hidden underground. I say "alien" and buried/hidden because neither of these points is explained or verified; although, the nature or format of this movie (more appropriate) can only reveal what our three protagonists encounter. To put it simply, the film is a "found footage" piece that documents the events that transpire after they develop their powers. Things develop rapidly and different social dynamics/situations provide plot points that force the characters to move along and make decisions that lead to an extreme climax that borders on the moralistic social commentary of today's youth.

While the film is about teenagers with superpowers, the real story centers on the relationship between social acceptance and the dangers of abuse and ridicule. In other words, bullying. The movie opens up with Andrew making a documentary about his life and all the social awkward experiences he has for being an introvert. He goes around and records all his daily exploits and as the audience follows him, we see the isolation and bullying he encounters. While most of these are reduced to mere pushing and shoving, the harsher reality appears in the form of his abusive father. However, here is where another dynamic appears. While Andrew bottles his abusive father, he tries to look after his ill mother.

So, this abusive treatment at home coupled with Andrew's already introverted behavior creates a character that is on the verge of  a breakdown. The superpowers will eventually lend a hand in allowing him to release his frustrations but on a grander, out-of-control scale. His only ground with reality comes in the form of his cousin Matt and their friend Steve. All three of them share the same gift and so share the same experiences in discovering their new found powers. However, even as they explore further, Andrew begins to slowly show signs that his introvert shell is cracking and with each abusive situation or conflict that he encounters the more unstable he becomes.

Without giving away any details, Andrew refocuses his perspective and convinces himself that his powers are a gift meant as a means to an end. So he lashes out against aggressors. At first he targets specific people, but after his altered indoctrination, he indiscriminately attacks anyone. Again, all the bottled up rage has spilled over causing Andrew to think irrationally and lose his humanity to some degree. In a way, it reminds me of the Japanese Anime movie Akira.

Originally, my thoughts about this film were somewhat low. Superhero or super powered people movies are hit or miss depending on the writing and focus. And, with teens, my expectations are even further low. I just can't stand the carelessness of young people with superpowers, it honestly irritates me because these are usually handled so poorly. Geez, I hate those so called teens with perfect lives and meaningless conflicts or struggles that don't appeal to no one. So already I thought I was going to detest that fact that this was a movie about teens with superpowers. But, that wasn't the case, thankfully!

Chronicle was a story that depicted a character with a very real conflict that appeals to everyone. We've all been that bullied or ridiculed kid in school. We hated it and there were times that we wanted to beat the crap out of anyone and everyone that ever put us down, but here's where the story also shows the very real and dark consequences of such behavior. Depending on how we handled it the result or final trigger can be very dangerous.

Visually, the film was shot very well considering it was one of those first person shot movies. However, here is where I applauded the filming approach. Throughout the movie, Andrew is filming, so the you rarely see him in the shot, but after he gets his powers he learns to hold his camera with his telekinetic abilities. This becomes a nifty technique because while the audience believes that he is still suspending it in the air, it feels as though the camera was placed there to give us the third person omniscient view that we are used to in other movies. The special effects were integrated so well that the flying scenes looked like actual base jumping or body surfing shots. Even during the climax scenes near the end, the visuals effects of Andrew unleashing his full powers and fighting against Matt resembled something out of an anime. I honestly began to think that this was how they should have filmed that atrocious Dragonball: Evolution movie.



I really enjoyed this film and the development of each of the characters especially Andrew. He wasn't really a villain but more of a misunderstood social outcast. This is something we can all understand and relate to because we have all experienced it in our own way. The writing captured the essence of teenage life and most of its shortcomings. And, I especially liked that behind the superpowers there was a deeper message about understanding, social acceptance and the dangers of abuse, ridicule and isolation.

Until the next one. Stay strong and unafraid.