50/50 review

  OK, so this review is going to be a bit difficult. I have a very strict no spoilers policy when it comes to my reviews, but I think it would be hard to describe 50/50 without some spoilers being made. I guess I will have to try.

  50/50 is a "dramedy" (a mixture of a drama and a comedy) starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen. The film is directed by Jonathan Levine and is written by Will Reiser (whose life experiences is what the film is loosely based off of). The film follows Adam (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who discovers that he actually has a rare type of cancer and must undergo chemotherapy in order to reduce the tumor.

  What? Did I already lose you on the idea that a plot like this can be turned into a comedy? Well, come back, because it actually works better than one might think. The marketing of the movie made it seem like this would be another raunchy comedy (with most of the commercials using Seth Rogen's scenes and the fact that the Superbad producers were behind it), but it's not.

  The movie uses a lot of awkward situations to fuel the humor. This actually works to the film's advantage and it really adds to the realism of the scenes. It also helps that actors really feel like they actually care about the story and interact with one another extremely well. Seth Rogen (who has done some drama in the past) really puts in a good performance. At first it seems like he is playing another one of his characters that we've seen before in films like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, but we really see a character who is losing a best friend and trying to not only keep Adam's spirits high, but trying to keep his own composure.

  Of course, Seth Rogen is basically playing himself in this film, as he was very close friends with Will Reiser and went through this whole thing with him in real life (Will was diagnosed with the same cancer). But that doesn't take away from the powerful performance Seth gave and the exceptional writing he was given.

  Let's not forget Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who also puts in another great performance in this movie. To be honest, Joseph's method of acting has somewhat bothered me in the past (his facial expressions never really seem to change and his voice doesn't sound as powerful as it should be in some cases), but I think it really works in this movie. You can see Adam actually try and stay sane with the fact that he only has a fifty-fifty chance of survival, and he slowly starts getting more monotone and weak as the movie progresses. However, he still stays strong and tries to look at the positives of life.

  And that's where the moral of the story comes in. Anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer or has a family member who has been diagnosed will tell you it is not easy to deal with. But you still have to look forward, live life to its fullest, and hope for the best. Adam deals with a lot of problems that could send a normal person into a deep depression, but the fact that he deals with that, is fighting a disease he has only a fifty percent chance of surviving, and still manages to have a positive outlook on life and is fighting for that outlook really makes it remarkable to watch and relatable to anyone who is going through the same trouble. In a time where a lot of films have incredibly cynical outlooks on life and are hard-pressed on showing how bleak the world can be, it's nice to see a film with an upbeat attitude despite the subject matter.

  I know there may be some things I have left out. But, again, it was to avoid spoilers. I highly recommend 50/50, and I am actually going to say it may be my pick for best movie of the year.