Review: 50/50

       Will Reiser is a comedy writer who a few years ago was diagnosed with a malignant tumor on his spine. He is currently in remission and doing much better, but for a while he went through a terrible time in his life. From that dark period, comes his screenplay: 50/50 an intimate look at the effect cancer has on one's own life as well as the lives of people around you. This is also by far the funniest movie about cancer that has ever been made, much better than 2009s Funny People (which interestingly, also featured Seth Rogen). While cancer is at the forefront of this film, it also deals a lot with relationships, not just between lovers, but also between friends and family. This is a heart-warming, touching, yet funny movie dealing with a deadly serious disease.

       Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Adam Lerner, a stand in for Reiser himself, who works as a writer for Seattle public radio. He doesn't smoke, he doesn't drink, he lives a very orderly life and doesn't even drive because it is one of the leading causes of death in America. He suffers from chronic back pain and goes to see a doctor, where he is told that he suffers from a rare form of cancer and there is a tumor on his back. His chances of survival are only about 50%. He gives his girlfriend an chance to get out of their relationship in case she isn't ready to handle it, but she decides to stay to take care of him. His friend Kyle (Rogen, who is friends with Reiser in real life) is very supportive and helps Adam keep a good attitude about it. His overbearing mother (Anjelica Huston) offers to move in to take care of him, but Adam points out that she doesn't need her help, and that she already has her hands full with his father who has Alzheimer's. Adam goes to see a therapist (Anna Kendrick) to help him deal with his emotions as he begins chemotherapy. They don't get along at first, but slowly build a close relationship. Adam bonds with the other patients in chemotherapy and while he still has cancer, everything seems to be alright. However, things take a turn for the worst when Adam discovers that his girlfriend is cheating on him and that the chemotherapy is not working and that he will need to undergo an operation to remove the tumor. While single, he is convinced by Kyle to try to use his cancer to pick up women, but he simply doesn't have the energy for nightlife or sex. Adam finally breaks down and struggles to accept that he could die very soon.

        Gordon-Levitt is fantastic as Adam. He conveys a wide range of emotions extremely well and it is no surprise that he is currently one of Hollywood's hottest stars. Rogen, who I usually find somewhat grating, also does a superb job, most likely because he is drawing on his real life experiences supporting Reiser through his brush with cancer. Anjelica Huston is, as always, mesmerizing to watch perform as she is able to break out of the stereotypical overbearing mother role. The drama is balanced perfectly with the comedy, neither hurts the other and instead serve to support each other in a delightful blend. The funniest moments come from a drug addled Adam or his not-all-there father. The make-up effects also do a remarkable job transforming an a healthy JGL into a sickly cancer patient. The screenplay definitely benefits from Reiser's experience in television as the plot follows a fairly standard sitcom style progression; however, in the third act, instead of everything going haywire, as it what usually happens in sitcoms, instead everything slows down as Adam prepares for and undergoes surgery. In this time the characters express significantly more depth than they have in the rest of the film. It is a shame that this films wasn't given at least a best screenplay nod at the Academy Awards last year as it is on par with the actual nominees, goes to show that sometimes the Golden Globes can get it more right than the Oscars. While 50/50 isn't entirely true to life, the more you know about cancer, the more you realize that's a good thing. The movies are good for creating comforting myths which can help us through times of darkness.