Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick
Writer: Will Reiser
Director: Jonathan Levine
A fearful journey with a comedic twist, 50/50 follows Adam Lerner (Gordon-Levitt) in the discovery of his tumor and how he subsequently chooses to deal with cancer. He has a childhood best friend (Rogen), who lends him atypical support, a sympathetic girlfriend whose intentions are questionable and a therapist who attempts to unleash Adam’s true emotions about his situation. 50/50 is one of the more realistic accounts of cancer on screen that I’ve seen. From the trailers, you guess that it’s a heart wrenching story filled with Rogen’s predictable swears-a-lot-and-loves-to-smoke-weed comedic relief role mixed in with humorous one-liners…and folks, the movie is exactly that. No big surprises, no big twists – just a well-acted, superbly written story that makes you laugh right when you’re about to cry. The movie was funny at the right times, even when it was unexpected, and somber when it needed to be. Certain scenes such as the reactions of the different people in Adam’s life after he tells them the news is so realistic and well done. If I could change anything about the movie, I would have added an emotional exchange between Adam and Kyle, just to supply another layer of their friendship that the audience can witness. Other than that, this movie is absolutely one of the best of 2011, so definitely watch it.