Film Review: 50/50 (2011)

50/50 is not only the funniest comedy of the year but also the most emotionally engaging.  In fact, it is more of a heartfelt drama than a hilarious comedy, which makes it one of this year’s best films.  Still, the movie has a number of unforgettable one-liners.  The remarkable feat of the film is its delicate balance of humor and tragedy.  It never becomes maudlin thanks to some incredible performances and its perfectly timed and executed comic relief; and it remains grounded enough to maintain and develop emotional attachment over excessive humor (perhaps because of the screenwriter’s own bout with cancer, which inspired the story).  When you watch it, do not expect just laughter but remember to bring tissues too – it will make you laugh out loud as well as tear up or cry.  In all, 50/50 is a must-see film that deserves more attention and some awards consideration; Hollywood needs to make and promote more films like this that are not only entertaining but also emotionally stimulating and contain valuable life-lessons, without being too “preachy.”  In a word, it is a poignant film.

50/50 has a fairly basic story that follows young twenty-seven year-old Adam, who leads a peculiarly safe, somewhat successful and content life with a sweet girlfriend, Rachael, and a great, albeit rough around the edges, best friend in Kyle.  Then the unimaginable happens: he learns that his backaches are not simply arthritis or injury-related; he is diagnosed with cancer.  In fact, he has Schwannoma neurofibrosarcoma, which for anyone not familiar with medical terminology is a highly malignant/harmful and rare breed of cancer that attacks one’s connective tissue surrounding nerves; for Adam, it is in his spine.  According to the film’s interpretation, this form of cancer has a 50% survival rate (hence the title, of course) before metastsis or the spreading of the disease from one organ or part of the body to another, at which point the survival rate is (supposedly) less than 10%.  In short, his medical prognosis is poor, to say the least.

After the calamitous news, Adam’s life descends into hell-on-earth.  Besides the physical toll chemotherapy has on his body and the psychological anguish from such devastating news, Adam’s personal life/relationships become scrutinized and in some cases disintegrate.  His girlfriend tries to comfort him in his time of need, but she is a self-absorbed person who has trouble dealing with the issue as well.  His mother Diane, who also has a husband with Alzheimer’s to deal with, wants to move in with him but he refuses, knowing she will simply smother him to death with overbearing protectiveness and care.  His best friend Kyle, to his credit, is always there for Adam, but Kyle is not always looking out for Adam’s best interests or he tries to console Adam in some questionable ways.  In addition, his new therapist Katherine is a young and highly inexperienced twenty-four year old counselor/psychiatrist; in actuality, she has yet to complete her doctorate when he becomes her patient.  Thus, his ability to confide in her is problematic, making him “close up” when he really needs to express his emotions for some bit of relief.  In a nutshell, 50/50 is about Adam’s physical and personal struggle to cope with and beat a rare and extremely aggressive form of cancer.

While this story has been used countless times before, rarely has it been approached with so much care, subtlety, and insightful humor.  The film’s screenwriter, Will Reiser, is a survivor of cancer, which surely aided the writing process and added much-needed nuances to the story and characters.  As an aside, Seth Rogen is one of Reiser’s best friends and was one of his closest companions during his demanding battle with cancer (they originally joked he always seemed tired, then thought it was diabetes before getting the real news and often avoided discussing emotions); Rogen’s performance clearly indicates some of this real-life depth.  Because of the amount of insight and attention given to Adam’s development, he is a completely credible “everyman” type of character that audiences really connect to.  You may imagine yourself dealing with the diagnosis in very similar ways or phases of denial, anger, indifference, grief, and acceptance.  Indeed, the film is not only poignant but also sincere.

Instead of succumbing to using clumsy dialogue, the filmmakers emphasized the visuals to convey character and emotional exposition.  For example, the viewer immediately knows Adam attempts to be a healthy and low-risk individual thanks to the opening jogging sequence that shows his devotion to physical wellness and safety.  Also, in the most emotionally intense scenes, the dialogue is minimal but extremely effective, whereas many manipulative films go for huge emotional sucker punches or simply overdo the dialogue.  Here, expressions mainly convey the emotions while the dialogue complements the visuals, which oftentimes causes those watery eyes to roll out a tear.  Some of the most touching and memorable moments or realizations of the film have little-to-no words (i.e. shrewd role-play counseling, dog-eared books, and fragile pre-op breakdowns).  The effective combination of visuals and dialogue adds another aspect of balance to the film.

In essence, 50/50 has a near-perfect blend of laughter and tears.  Apparently Michael Giacchino (Lost, Star Trek, Up, Super 8) composed the score for the film, but the unoriginal soundtrack from various artists sticks out more, which helps the viewer feel certain scenes out (if “on the nose” too much at times).  Apart from its crass humor early on (even for a cynical moviegoer there is a staggering amount of F-bombs and sexual references in the first few scenes), director Jonathan Levine (The Wackness) so effectively uses humor to balance the heartbreaking drama that the movie almost never misses a beat.  Even in scenes or moments that you would expect total seriousness, especially one in particular towards the end, the film inserts effective, hilarious one-liners but remains respectful of the gravity of the situation.  In providing this much-needed comic relief, the film’s emotional side does not become overly sentimental or downright depressing.  Rather, it is an amazingly tender dramatization of a very real and terrible aspect of life that everyone can relate to.  But make no mistake about it – if you are human at all, you will either well-up, cry or even sob in certain heart-wrenching scenes, especially if you have dealt with cancer firsthand.

Besides its sharp writing, 50/50 features several absorbing performances that are worthy of awards consideration, particularly Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer, Inception), who took on the role of Adam after James McAvoy bailed on the project for personal reasons.  While McAvoy has proven his dramatic depth, Gordon-Levitt is Adam, and virtually no other actor could have so brilliantly portrayed the character.  His understated method of acting or keeping a lot of his various characters’ emotions beneath the surface unless expressed in subtle expressions and in climactic outbursts is perfect for the calm Adam.  Also, kudos to the makeup department for making his appearance really deteriorate and making Adam look like he is dying, and Gordon-Levitt adds depth to the superficial decay.  He is truly one of the finest young actors in Hollywood, and his range and commitment is on full display here (i.e. the shaving scene is his actual hair, so it is one take of improvisation).  While the crowd for Best Actor is already filling up, no one should be surprised if he gets a nomination.

The supporting cast does an excellent job at providing various levels of emotional involvement with Adam.  Although some critics have disliked Seth Rogen’s participation in the film, he is actually a great choice to play as Kyle.  He comes off as rude, sexist and selfish in the film’s first half but later subtle nuances of support become evident.  In that sense, Rogen is an ideal actor to take on the role: audiences expect him to be crude and self-interested but he actually shows some range, and our surprise at Kyle’s heartfelt attachment mirrors Adam’s.  This underrated performance is arguably one of Rogen’s best.  Anna Kendrick is solid as the young counselor “Katie.”  After garnering a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Up in the Air (2009), Kendrick has risen above her Twilight roots with some hefty dramatic depth, which is not quite used to its full potential in this movie but she is still a welcome addition to the cast.  Some viewers will find the love interest subplot a bit forced or cliché, but with such likable, talented leads as Gordon-Levitt and Kendrick, most audiences will enjoy it.

Oscar-winner Anjelica Huston gives one of the film’s more unheralded performances as the grief-stricken mother, which could be a dark-horse Best Supporting Actress contender.  She appears to be a caricature in her early scenes, along with Serge Houde who plays Adam’s father Alzheimer’s Disease.  However, once she reappears on-screen to the end of the film, she exhibits some of her wonderful acting abilities that will connect to all audiences but most certainly to mothers.  Two of the most emotionally resonant scenes involve her character, between a striking moment in a role-playing session at Adam’s counseling and a stark realization in the doctor’s office that Adam is not the only one who has to deal with the issue (i.e. “how would you know?”).  Bryce Dallas Howard (The Help, The Village) is probably the weakest link given her transparently shallow character (shallow as in both somewhat one-dimensional and selfish).  Then again, she owns the part of Adam’s girlfriend Rachael and successfully provokes the audience, not to mention gives Rogen some hilarious comedic ammunition (albeit harshly honest and profane).  Lastly, Matt Frewer (Watchmen, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids) and Phillip Baker Hall (who has been in just about everything) turn in some scene-stealing performances as Adam’s fellow comrades against cancer Mitch and Alan.

While 50/50 is not a perfect movie nor is it a highly ambitious, original piece of cinema, it is still a great film.  With such a tragic and relevant subject matter as cancer, the film successfully walks the fine line between laugh-out-loud, perfectly timed humor and tear-jerking drama.  The performances are actually remarkable all-around, with a few exceptional, award-worthy ones from Gordon-Levitt, Huston and perhaps even Rogen and Kendrick in some minor competitions.  In sum, 50/50 works better than it should; it is a deeply affecting, poignant and sincere film about the struggle against cancer and its havoc on one’s personal life.  Even if you have not been a victim of cancer or know someone close who has, the film offers some priceless lessons about grief and troubled relationships.  Unless you are dealing with cancer-related grief of your own recently and need more time to heal, this is must-see material and one of 2011’s best, most complete films, so get out to a theater and give it support!

50/50 – 9/10