50/50 Four Young Actors, Showing Why Their At The Top Of Their Class

Rating: Null/10 (11 October 2011)

50/50 is a truly extraordinary movie. This is a mini-masterpiece that is as thoughtful and compelling as it is funny and real. Written by Will Reiser and directed by Jonathan Levine 50/50 faces the emotional devastation of cancer as well the physical ravages of chemotherapy with the perfect mixture of pathos, wit and compassion, steering away from melodrama. This is clearly no accident as our protagonist Adam, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt starts the conversation with his mother about his potentially lethal diagnosis by asking her if she was familiar with "Terms Of Endearment." Mr. Gordon-Levitt appears in virtually every frame of the movie allowing us to see the confusion, pain, fear and virtually every other possible emotion without letting us feel pity for this kind, rather unremarkable young man. Adam innocently makes an appointment with a doctor to find out why the pain in his back won't go away, only to find that that he has a large malignant tumor pressing on his vertebrae. In a state of shock he begins the process of hopeful healing, including "chemo," hence the famous head shaving scene. The scenes when he is receiving the chemotherapy are shared with Philip Baker Hall as Alan, a fellow cancer patient. These hospital scenes could easily have been a devise for gallows humor or cornball father/son wisdom, but instead Adam and his Alan make easy conversation and Alan introduces his younger friend to the joys of medicinal marijuana.
Adam's support group is led by his best (and seemingly only) friend Kyle, played to understated perfection by the wonderful Seth Rogen (who is also one of the producers of the film) and his less-than-supportive girlfriend Rachel played by Bryce Dallas Howard, who earlier this summer played another unsympathetic role in "The Help." Anna Kendrick plays Adams young psychologist Katherine, who is actually the female equivalent to Adam. She is nervous, shy timid and loveably unsure of herself, Ms. Kendrick burst on the scene in the wonderful "Up In The Air," going step for step with George Clooney, and she does not fail to live up to those expectations. She is all sweetness and light and exudes an unparalleled sense innocent charm.
Anjelica Huston appears as Adam's overbearing mother, but plays her role with the same subtlety as the rest of the young cast. It would have been so easy to go over-the-top as the prototypical Freudian cliché nightmare "mother-from-hell." She is a woman dealing with her own tragedy as the sole caretaker of her Alzheimer-stricken husband (Serge Houde), when she learns of her son's illness. adding burden on top of burden. She is far more to be pitied, than scorned. Ms. Huston is as wonderful as you'd expect her to be.
Most of the movie relies on the chemistry between Rogan's Kyle and Gordon-Levitt's Adam. They truly deliver, without a single reference to the unfortunate term "bromance." This is a wonderfully, subtle, nuanced, deeply thoughtful piece of filmmaking. Bravo.