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Film Review: "50/50"

Rebecca Obadia |
October 1, 2011 | 3:48 p.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

"50/50" in theaters now (summit entertainment)
"50/50" in theaters now (summit entertainment)

Here is "50/50"! A movie that most people would describe as a drama-comedy about a 28-year-old man being diagnosed with cancer and how he manages to deal with it in his everyday life.

However, "50/50" is not only about dramatic news drastically changing the destiny of a young man. It's about love, taking chances, and seeing life on the bright side. It's about pros/cons, life/death, and optimism/pessimism. Jonathan Levine directed his movie with the help of a talented writer, Will Reiser. Together, they turned a serious topic into a series of comic events depicting the life changing experience of a cancer patient.

The great performance of each actor give enough credibility to all of the relationships presented in the movie for the audience to relate to it. Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Kyle's (Seth Rogen) friendship reminds of your closest friend who simply knows how to be there for you, whether it is to smoke medical marijuana and watch TV, or taking you to the hospital when your girlfriend is not around anymore. The two characters' traits are complete opposite, and yet they understand and support each other at all times.

If their friendship leads most of the movie, Reiser also included the perception of Adam's girlfriend and family. On the family side, Adam's dramatic mother (Anjelica Huston) invades his personal space to make sure he is not left alone, and her emotional clumsiness speaks for itself. There are no specific guidelines for cancer support. 

On the other hand, his girlfriend symbolizes the great disappointment you can get from the people who let you down once you hit bottom. This is where "50/50" evokes the importance of true friends and family who will be there for you regardless of your situation.

"50/50" is not only a comedy with great punch lines and a cheesy romantic note on the side, it should be seen as an inspiration for patients who are losing hope. It is always complicated to deal with things that you do not have control over. However, if you look around and all you see is love, life, and optimism forget about what could happen tomorrow and start thinking about what you should do today. Being surrounded is the treatment to all of your pains!

Reach writer Rebecca Obadia here

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