50/50 (2011)
Summary
Genre: Comedy, DramaGoodies:
+ A comedic drama that tackles a serious subject with tact and humor, + Somber, yet refreshingBaddies:
- The awkward ethical issues in the filmInspired by a true story, a comedy centered on a 27-year-old guy who learns of his cancer diagnosis, and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease.
50/50 is a film that will make you chuckle, then punch you in the heart. As much as the film is a comedy, at its very core, it is a drama about a serious topic. With that said, it is probably the funniest film I have ever seen about cancer. If it were not for one aspect of the film, I would consider it to be a relatively exceptional film. This may sprinkle some spoilers in, but it seemed pretty obvious in the trailer that something was going to happen. (SPOILER) the ethical issues between Adam and his therapist made me feel uncomfortable to no end. It is one thing to have a romantic interest in a film and another for a dimwitted DOCTORAL student to not understand professional boundaries. Maybe it is just because of my profession, but overall, it was not a great time (END SPOILER). It was fun to see Angelica Houston in a film again (Witches was such a great film!). She has aged relatively well. As always Joseph Gordon-Levitt was awesome, and I could stand Seth Rogan! Be prepared to have the sad lump in your throat for a majority of the film, and be prepared to cry (I did). Obviously, cancer is a serious subject, but the characters were played very well and the relationships and situations in the film were visceral and outstanding. Although I haven’t been affected by anyone close to me dealing with cancer, the film makes you feel what it is like on a personal, outside professional, familial, friend, and societal level. The film takes place very much inside of the mind (what is up with JGL doing films like that? haha). I would highly recommend the film to anyone!
Trailer
My son Alex saw it Saturday and he like it as well!