Review: 50/50

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is currently my favorite actor.  He has great range and makes solid choices when choosing projects.  He was great in 500 Days of Summer and Inception; he has had some highly underrated performances such as in Brick and in The Lookout; and he is the subject of much Internet speculation as to his exact role in the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises.  Big budget, indie, comedy, drama, or action, he has done it all and done it very well.  One of his most recent projects though, 50/50, presents a unique challenge.  How do you bring humor to a film chronicling an illness in cancer that has touched so many lives in an adverse way?  Having watched the film, I can definitively say that director Jonathan Levine and writer Will Reiser provide the answer: by telling a story that has the look and feel of authenticity.

Gordon-Levitt’s Adam is a twenty-something guy treading water in a mundane relationship; he has a dysfunctional family; and he hangs out with one really good goofball friend.  He could be anyone.  He could be your next door neighbor.  He could be you.  When Adam is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, he is forced to take a hard look at his own mortality and assess the way he manages his relationships.  There are moments of laughter and tears, of hope and resignation, of joy and pain, but through it all he finds that the more he feels isolated, the more he realizes that alone is precisely what he is not.  Through his eyes, the viewer is reminded that life is many things and demands a broad spectrum of emotions.  The brilliance of the narrative is that it reminds us of this at every turn.

Gordon-Levitt’s performance is authentic and dynamic.  He is the anchor that allows Seth Rogen to bring his brand of brash humor to the film in a way that adds value.  Anna Kendrick continues to impress as Adam’s therapist.  She is vulnerable and endearing in a way that sets her off from Bryce Dallas Howard who masterfully plays Adam’s shallow and callow girlfriend.  As for the rest of the cast, Anjelica Houston, Serge Houde, and Phillip Baker Hall bring their seasoned veteran presence and experience to the proceedings and establish a nice contrast to the relative youth of the principle characters.

I would highly recommend this film.  It will pull you in many different directions and deliver both bitter and sweet like the one-two punch of a great pugilist.  You won’t have to suspend disbelief or use your imagination to embrace this narrative.  To appreciate this film, you’ll only need to press play, sit back, and watch great writing, great directing, and great acting all come together. 

Standout Performance:  Anna Kendrick of Up in the Air and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World especially stands out amidst many strong performances.