Courtesy of Wikipedia.org
Sometimes a movie just has soul — something that can’t be planned out in pre-production, directed in a shot, or added in in post. It’s something intangible that can only be felt. 50/50 has that.
50/50 is Jonathan Levine’s third feature (his last film was The Wackness, which also had soul, and before that he directed All the Boys Love Mandy Lane which is seemingly impossible to see), and was written by Will Reiser, who based the film on his own experiences with cancer. IMDb summarizes it as such:
Adam is a 27 year old writer of radio programs and is diagnosed with a rare form of spinal cancer. With the help of his best friend, his mother, and a young therapist at the cancer center, Adam learns what and who the most important things in his life are.
This summary makes it sound a bit like a run-of-the-mill emotional drama, but it’s far from that. Yes, it’s emotional. Joesph-Gordon Levitt does a great job at realistically portraying a man struck with cancer that he didn’t expect. Anna Kedrick does a great job in her role as his young, inexperienced therapist as well.
But it’s also hilarious. Seth Rogen does a great job at merging drama with comedy, and if he wasn’t Seth Rogen, would probably be getting some Oscar nods. Phillip Baker Hall steals the show in some scenes as a cancer patient with a great heart and a desire to get high.
50/50 is the type of film that will make you laugh, then want to cry, then laugh again. It’s optimistic and meaningful. Yes, it’s got it’s flaws, but there aren’t that many movies out there anymore that has the kind of soul that 50/50 has.
Along with Terry Stacey’s always beautiful cinematography, Levine directs an ensemble cast that really — excuse my lame phrase — hits a home run. I’d chose 50/50 over almost any big budget Hollywood movie or stereotypical indie film any day.
9 Golden Eggs
