50/50 Movie Review

Director: Jonathan Levine 

UK Release Date: 25th November 2011

Running Time: 100 minutes

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anna Kendrick, Seth Rogen, Bryce Dallas-Howard, Phillip Baker Hall

Originally put off by the concept of "50/50", it pleasantly surprised and impressed with its humble and respectful nature.  The comedy and drama based on a difficult topic is portrayed in a way that is effortless and appreciates the tough nature of the topic.  Jonathan Levine directs a brilliantly moving film that is both engaging and touching. 

"50/50" is based loosely on a true story.  Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer when he is 27 years old and this leaves him with a 50% chance of living.  With support from his best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) and his support therapist, Katherine (Anna Kendrick) Adam tries to come to terms with his illness and make sense of his life.  The film also takes into consideration the effect his illness has on others in his life, including his girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas-Howard) and his mother Diana (Anjelica Huston). 

Considering the sensitive topic the film consists of, "50/50" is a really great film.  The script hits the perfect balance between comedy and drama with characters that are excellent for the storyline.  Gordon-Levitt, Rogen and Kendrick bring the film up a notch from being your average sort of comedy.  In ways it is similar to "Silver Linings Playbook" (2012), in that it is a comedy centered around a more serious topic rather than just a comedy aiming to be silly and achieve cheap laughs.   This really works for the movie and is backed up by the performances of the actors involved.

A lot of the credit has to go down to Gordon-Levitt who gives one of the best performances of his career. He really was able to take on the character and was believable throughout.  He was perfect for the role as he has achieved success in character roles that are both dramatic and comical making him ready for this type of role.  In more of a supporting role, both Rogen and Kendrick offer innocence, honesty and the more comical parts of the film.  Rogen's character, Kyle, is very 'Rogen' but is scaled back slightly to fit in line with the film. As the movie goes on, you can see how his character changes at the realisation of the seriousness of his best friend's illness - something that really pushed through the emotive side of the film.  Kendrick's character also offers an alternative outlook with her excellently portrayed character who is new to the job of therapy.  The relationship she holds on screen with Gordon-Levitt is good to watch and is very sweet.

"50/50" really is a film that will surprise anyone who watches it.  It offers a compelling storyline that features different genre aspects that fit well together.  The acting is pleasant and respectful and background aspects of the film such as the soundtrack are also very good.  Michael Giacchino is the person responsible for this and many will recognise the sound of his music from the hit television series "Lost" (2004-2010). While watching this movie you will become engrossed in the story and will fall in love with a few of the characters and their relationships.  An emotional and inspirational film, "50/50" was a great surprise watch and deserves the good critical response it received.

M+F Rating: 8/10

Reviewed by M+F Reviews.