50/50: Review

Based upon the true story of writer Will Reiser, 50/50 is about young healthy Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who learns that he has a maligament tumour in his spine, and the survival rate for his particular illness is that of the title: 50/50. Despite this rather serious plot, the film is actually a dramatic comedy, with many laughable scenes mixed in amongst more serious and emotional ones. 

Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt)

One of my favourite things about 50/50 is that it instantly transitions from comedy to an intensely emotional movie, never mocking such a serious illness, but at the same time, making light of it and highlighting the things that aren't all that bad. It may not be wise for those whom have gone through similar experiences to watch the film if it is likely to bring back dreadful memories, but I was surprised at how well it handles such a devastating topic. 

Seth Rogen plays Adam's best friend Kyle, and his character is not entirely different to that of many of Seth Rogen films: a lovable stoner. He uses his friend's illness to pick up girls and smoke medicinal marijuana, but he never becomes dislikeable, rather the opposite, as it's clear from the beginning how much he cares about Adam's current state, using humour to help him see the positives in his life.

The problem that sticks out most for me with 50/50 is that it could have been longer. Only running for 90 minutes, you don't get to see enough of certain characters before they are no longer a part of the story, which although may be a metaphor to show how short life truly is when you have an illness like this and so you must live every day to the fullest, I would have preferred a much longer film with a lot more character development. The final scene is also quite abrupt, but I'm personally a huge fan of it, just several people whom I have seen it with were surprised at how soon the film concluded. 

Verdict
50/50 is an enjoyable and incredibly emotional film which will make you laugh as much as it'll make you cry. Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt make a great duo which I'd like to see a lot more of, and there was nobody who pulled the movie down from an acting point of view. The music compliments the tone very well, being as uplifting as it is depressing. Released back in November 2011, I would highly recommend buying or renting 50/50, as it really is far better than I had expected.     8.5/10

"You can't change your situation, the only thing

you can change is how you choose to deal with it."