50/50 review
In his early 20’s, Will Reiser was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Reiser was a producer on “Da Ali G Show” with Seth Rogen, who helped him through the ordeal and eventually encouraged him to turn his experiences into a movie. Hence, “50/50,” a heartfelt dramedy written by Reiser and featuring Joseph Gordon Levitt as Adam (a stand in for Reiser), an audio editor for NPR who is diagnosed with cancer and supported through it by his friend Kyle (Rogen, a stand in for himself). It’s difficult subject matter, especially for a film that’s being marketed as a comedy. Adam is a buttoned up guy, doesn’t smoke, doesn’t do drugs, eats reasonably healthy and can’t understand why this happened to him. His mother (Anjelica Huston) is overbearing and emotional, suggesting he move back in with her while his girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard, disarmingly charming) is supportive even after Adam gives her an out if she decides not to stay with him.
Adam starts seeing 24 year old therapist-in-training Katherine (Anna Kendrick) who may not be equipped to handle him. Kyle does his best to keep things as normal as possible between the two friends, using his illness as a hook to pickup chicks for himself and Rogen gets off some great lines in the film. Though he’s still playing the “Seth Rogen character,” he’s anchored by a much more serious film making his comic relief truly a relief. I respect Rogen for being smart enough to bring his persona into different sorts of films because it really works here. Tone is always a tricky thing so I’ll give director Jonathan Levine (“The Wackness”) credit for striking the right balance where the laughs don’t come at the expense of the emotion. I even managed to get a little teary eyed towards the end when a lesser film might have gone off the rails into maudlin territory. Highly entertaining, even if it’s rewatchability might be effected by its heavy themes, “50/50” should prove to be a comfort to people afflicted or otherwise.
