50/50

Rating: 6/10 (14 June 2012)

Cancer has always been a serious subject, and when used in films it is always tearjerking and realistic, Terms of Endearment for example, so you would never think that they could make a comedy film where it is the main plot, but then this came along. Basically twenty seven year old public radio journalist Adam Lerner (Golden Globe nominated Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is just your normal average guy with artist girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard) and co-worker best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen). His life dramatically changes however when he goes to the doctor suffering with strange aches and pains, and he is diagnosed with a very rare form of spinal cancer, meaning that he will undergo chemotherapy, and looking the disease up on the internet it looks like he has a 50/50 chance of survival. Adam tells Kyle who sticks very close with him for support and to give him positivity about his condition, and when he tells his overbearing mother Diane (Anjelica Huston), who cares for his father Richard (Serge Houde) who is suffering Alzheimer's disease, she is very concerned. He does accept his mother's offer to stay at their house to be cared for, and Rachael, despite being uncomfortable going with him to hospital, says that she will help take care of him, that is until Kyle sees her kissing another man and reveals this to Adam. After the break up Kyle keeps his spirits up, and he says that Adam should try and use his disease for his own benefit, such as picking up women who will feel sympathetic, so with a shaved head, prior to chemotherapy, they try this theory out. Seeking more positivity and advice Adam starts seeing young and inexperienced therapist Katherine McKay (Up in the Air's Anna Kendrick), they start a rocky relationship of sessions, but he opens up to her about many things and they start to see each other outside of sessions as friends, and he also becomes friends with fellow chemotherapy patients Alan (Philip Baker Hall) and Mitch (Matt Frewer). Mitch dies and fears are obviously welling up inside of Adam, especially after he discovers the therapy is not working and a risky surgery is the last resort, and the night before he has a bad argument with a drunken Kyle, and he calls Katherine to get some much needed support. The next day Kyle and he make amends and go to the hospital, and after the six hour operation to remove the tumour the doctors tell Kyle, Diane, Katherine and Richard that the bone degradation was worse than first thought, but the surgery was successful and they hear Adam will recover. The film ends happily with Adam recovering very well, with Kyle rubbing cream onto the huge scar on his back, and he is getting ready for a date with Katherine, and together they smile wondering what the future will hold. Also starring Andrew Airlie as Dr. Ross. Gordon-Levitt gives a good vulnerable and touching performance as the victim to the fateful disease, Rogen gives his usual great brash and sometimes foul-mouthed performance as his best friend, together they are a good double act, and other cast members Howard, Kendrick and Houston also do well being concerned and supportive, the story does not make any jokes about what is happening to the character, but it does leave room for social and dialogue humour, so it all adds up to an interesting comedy drama. It was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical. Good!