50/50 (2011)

Unusually pathos-filled for a film starring Seth Rogen, and more drama than comedy, this based-on-a-true-story of a guy struggling with a rare form of spinal cancer is a depress-fest worth watching. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the lead character of Adam, who discovers he has the aforementioned affliction, and has his life turn to mayhem, as he tries to cope and beat this illness, which online guesses say his chances are about half (hence the title). Adam’s best friend Kyle (Rogen), tries to help his buddy by getting him drunk, stoned, and laid, in the typically foul-mouthed Rogen style. Kyle’s attempts prove a lesser evil than Adam’s girlfriend’s, who struggles to support Adam, and causes him more pain. Alongside this, Adam also finds it difficult to rely on his nonsensical father, and interfering mother, so finds himself very much alone. However, through the misery and anguish, Adam journeys through the stages of grief with good-mannered quietness, whilst finding solace on the chair of his counsellor and with his co-cancer-sufferers. A very touching and sensitive film, Gordon-Levitt delivers a knockout performance, bringing a brilliant character to life, during this mortality-questioning event. Rogen, as mentioned, is his usual crude self, although his connection to the film’s true events, gives a sense of authenticity which is important. Anna Kendrick (ex-Twilight), gives a very decent performance as the councillor, whose awkward moments in her own lack of confidence give the movie a much needed levity. Arguably, the film fails to delve deep enough into the subject matter, preferring to stay on the peripheral instead, and the jokes fail to lighten the mood in places, leaving the film mostly a drama. However, it must be commended for trying to make a mainstream film about cancer, and the performances do the movie justice.