50/50 is a movie about dying of cancer. That's the premise, not a spoiler -- I won't reveal whether Joseph Gordon-Leavitt's character (Adam) lives or dies, but that's not the point anyway. This movie exists to document the preparing-for-death process.
One must admit it's some low-hanging emotional fruit. We all probably know somebody who has died or might be dying of cancer.
50/50 shows how intentionally manipulative material can still succeed when executed masterfully. It isn't overly sentimental, has a conspicuously contemporary sense of pacing and natural dialogue, and plenty of that fashionable sort of situational awkwardness you'd expect from a Seth Rogen "bromance."
Rogen is great, by the way, bringing exactly the sort of irreverent levity needed to dilute the mood without undermining the film's sincerity. Death apparently forces us to meditate on Love, manifested in
50/50 in three forms: romance, family, and friendship. The friendship part wisely ends up forming the movie's core, and thanks to Rogen, it works --
50/50's portrayal of loyalty and devotion is believable, touching, and inspiring.
On the family side, Angelica Houston gives a show-stealing (Oscar-quality?) performance as Adam's mother. Personally, I thought her on-screen moments were the best the film has to offer and are worth the price of admission.
Romance-wise, I must be a victim of my own biases... I've never found Anna Kendrick very appealing (her shtick fails to redeem her plainness, in my view) and I'll probably always see JGL as the little kid from
Angels In The Outfield, no matter how much he now resembles (former
10 Things I Hate About You co-star) Heath Ledger. I found myself rooting for the film's romance in spite of the actors, and then probably just because I've been conditioned to do so.
50/50 excels at pushing those sorts of pre-programmed buttons in an audience. While it certainly doesn't glorify or romanticize dying of cancer, there's never much ambiguity about what you should be feeling at any point, and even less so during the film's multiple heavy-handed musical montage sequences. This on-the-noseness can be both a weakness (in the case of Adam's cheating girlfriend, a revelation so telegraphed I wouldn't consider it a spoiler either) or a strength (as when Seth Rogen's character confronts the cheating girlfiend in a particularly memorable "Hell yeah!" scene). After all, on some level it's a movie about how "real" people react when finding themselves in on-the-nose situations.
Readers will no doubt be aware that
50/50 is based on the true story of the writer's own untimely cancer battle. Unfortunately, this means a 30-year-old writer relating his experience at 24 as portrayed by a 30-year-old actor playing a 27-year-old character. These various maturities and mentalities all find their way into the story and dialogue, rendering the film quite age-incoherent.
And it's too bad that audiences apparently require a young, hot person in order to feel the impact of the tragedy of cancer death, but I suppose it's justified -- no matter how old you are, your demise seems tragic; and, likewise, you don't perceive yourself as old, you perceive yourself as you.
Heavy, funny, corny... it's an important movie that certainly leaves an impression, and worth watching.
