Thursday, September 29, 2011 at 12:09PM Movie Review: '50/50'
| 50/50
Starring Joseph Gordon-Leviit, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick
|
It's rare that a movie invokes a true emotional response from me. I watch a ton of movies each year, and quite a few TV shows. I'm difficult to shock and surprise, so when I found myself physically reacting to the story and performances in 50/50, I was as surprised as I was pleased. Not only is there such an amazing blend of drama and comedy, it all felt extremely real and personal.
A semi-autobiographical story, 50/50 is the journey of 27-year-old Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who works at a radio station with his best friend, Kyle (Seth Rogen). He's in a steady relationship with Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard) with his life moving along at a decent pace. A major roadblock is thrown in his path when his back pain is diagnosed as a rare form of cancer; suddenly, Adam's relationships are strained to their limits, as well as his own outlook on life.
It's a tale we've all seen before; battling cancer, relationships challenged by life changing events, finding the will to keep fighting. But not quite like this. And certainly not while laughing so much.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt again proves his leading man capabilities. delivering raw emotion when the scene calls for it, then flawlessly delivers comedic lines in the same breath. This close to awards season, he better get some sort of nod for this performance; it's easily one of the best I've seen all year, if not the best.
It's important to note that this story isn't exclusively about Adam; everyone else that cares about him also have to find their own ways to cope. For example, Kyle, played by Seth Rogen. Rogen, who I've grown somewhat tired of, actually does an impressive job here. While he seems unsympathetic towards Adam's condition, Rogen does a great job playing the best friend, unsure of how to handle the possibility that his best friend might die. He shows a bit of potential here, that he may not just be a comedic actor.
As a matter of fact, the entire supporting cast is superb. Bryce Dallas Howard as Adam's girlfriend, Anna Kendrick as Adam's counselor, and Anjelica Huston as Adam's mother all play their roles well, showing their own difficulties in dealing with Adam's illness. Even Matt Frewer and Philip Baker Hall, as Adam's "cancer buddies," are entertaining, funny, and still enhance the story.
Writer Will Reiser and Director Jonathan Levine spin this tale in such a way that it's more drama than comedy, and instead of it pausing for jokes, use the humor delivered by the story and actors to enhance the main plot. In a way, this tactic makes it easier for the audience to get drawn in and invoke even more emotion; the humor makes everyone and everything seem so much more real. It gives the characters that added depth, instead of everything being so damn serious.
Maybe the film resonates more to me due to my age being close to that of the main character, but the analytical side of me is hard pressed to find any flaws with this film. A few plot points were convenient, such as Adam's therapist being young and new to her profession (allowing their relationship to develop beyond client/patient), but it fits this story.
Some may not like to get comedy in their dramas, or drama in their comedies, but that's what we have here. The result is a smart, thoughtful, and emotional comedy, one that can hit closer to home than most because these two elements are so amazingly blended.
Reader Comments (5)
Anybody else think this movie looks like "Funny People" ??? ...After this review, however, I will HAVE to go see it!
How can you not be a fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt at this point? Count me in.
hi all..
i love it's info cool!
Mos def... this movie deserves your rating.
I saw Seth's interview on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and loved where he said they (Seth and his co-workers) were dicks to Will before everyone knew he had cancer because he really looked "run down" and they just thought he couldn't handle working so much. LOL ...so if you're looking for a life lesson from your Life Coach Jack don't make fun of people because how they look, because it might get made into a movie about how much of a dick you really are.
I enjoyed so much this film and I even couldn't stop laughing when I was watching it, specially scene where the man is cutting hair to the other guy... I love his face, he looks pathetic.
xl pharmacy
thank for share,To recommend to you the replica patek philippe watches , replica tag heuer link and Breitling Navitimer replica Articles.