The Odds Are Good That You Would Love This Film!

Movies that go into subjects that have a bleak premise such as dealing with a terminal disease are often easily dismissed as something that can be depressing and it is absolutely so easy to go into its human drama in a rather melodramatic and potentially heavy-handed way. I’ve seen many films that portray a terminal disease such as cancer and then take the premise to the limits of melodrama. Well, seems like director Jonathan Levine and writer Will Reiser’s “50/50” has done something different since it goes into its bleak and heartbreaking premise with a serious-minded comedic approach that just works. The film is perfectly balanced and feels very sincere and real as it goes into the story with a profound honesty that feels very fresh. The film is loosely based on Reiser’s own life.

Adam and Kyle (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen) are longtime friends and co-workers. Adam is the straight and narrow dude; he doesn’t smoke or drink while Kyle prefers to live his life in a more carefree way. When Adam is diagnosed with cancer, his life of course is turned upside-down. Telling his mother (Angelica Huston) about his illness may turn her into a more “nagging” mom, his friend Kyle is more into taking advantage of the situation, and his beautiful girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) who he hasn’t had sex with for a number of weeks grows to feel emotionally detached. Adam seems to have some issues since he hasn’t learned how to drive, and he really hasn’t gotten into taking care of anything since his rare cancer shows a mere 50/50 survival rate. Adam’s situation causes growth from himself and from everyone, including a pretty young therapist named Katie McKay (Anna Kendrick)….

                           

                           

The film is pretty simple and yet this is what really makes it work. There is a sort of sincerity in the film’s proceedings as we see the direction take us to the little things about dealing with cancer. The chemo-therapy sessions that takes Adam into forming a bond with other older patients (Philip Baker Hall and Matt Frewer), from his therapy sessions, his small talks with his mother, the way his friend Kyle deals with his situation in his own way, and how a cancer patient’s mind would deal with a situation. The characters are developed and you begin to form an attachment to them through their dealings with Adam, while Adam becomes the one character that is the one mechanism for the growth of the story.

The screenplay and the direction were very mindful in how it executed each scene. There is great emotion in the film and the direction was able to find the right balance of drama and humor that sidesteps the potential trap that is could turn into a sort of over-execution and rely on shoddy sermons about how to deal with cancer. In some ways, it reminded me of “The Guitar” and how “Departures” was able to execute beautiful melancholy despite its main premise was death. The film focuses on simple things that could actually happen and will indeed happen but it doesn’t take the cheap ways out. It was so cool for Levine to write the script in a way that he doesn’t ask or tell his viewer how to react but encourages them to react. It all feels natural the way the film seemed to flow, it never seemed to want you to get teary eyed, and yet, your heart is touched by what you see on-screen.

 

                

                

What is also surprising is that “50/50” manages to become sincerely funny despite its difficult subject. There were several scenes that outright made me laugh; and I was very amazed how Reiser found some unexpected humor in a movie about cancer. From a dog named “Skeletor” and to Rogen’s antics; much of the comedy comes from Adam’s situation as the character sees the absurdity of his own condition. The film does keep a balance as to not point an accusing finger as some people (his mother and his girlfriend) around Adam seem to be having issues dealing with Adam’s illness. It all feels very real even when his therapist seems to fumble some of his sessions but then, they eventually form an odd connection.

Levitt is amazingly convincing in his portrayal as I felt very sympathetic to his character and I was rooting for him to beat the disease all the way. Seth Rogen plays his Kyle character with an amount of zest as he has done with his other characters such as in “The Green Hornet” and maybe even “Pineapple Express”. His seemingly insensitive behavior can be quite annoying at times, but the direction plays a few subtle surprises that made Kyle as important to the narrative as his mother and his girlfriend. Anna Kendrick is charming as the young therapist; she felt a little uneasy at first, but the more you get to see her, the more you becomes invested in the subplot that surrounds her. Huston was very good as Adam’s worrisome mother, and despite some spots where her scenes felt a little too heavy and cartoonish, I could relate to the emotions wrapped around her. Bryce Dallas Howard was excellent as the girlfriend who tries to tough things out, and even when I hated her, I couldn’t help understanding her point of view. Yes, she was cold at times, but she felt very real and proved to be very significant in the film‘s premise.

“50/50’s” success comes from the fact that it sidesteps the expectations that it would leave people sad and depressed. In doing so, it becomes a tight, well-executed dramedy that covers all the different possibilities that may stem from a situation like Adam’s. It is a film about mistakes, dealing with different fears and struggles and how we have to celebrate small triumphs. It is a sincere film that is just so refreshing; from the romantic subplot that may not work or not, to the final scenes that proves itself a true heartbreaker, but not in the way you would expect. It begins as a good movie and the more you get into it, you then realize that you are watching a great film. That is what “50/50” is all about. It disarms you, then touches you, it may even annoy you, but that is what life is all about. Reiser and Levine have made a winner.

Highly Recommended! [4 ½ Out of 5 Stars]