Sweet

Rating: 8/10 (28 August 2012)

50/50 falls very neatly into the very definition of "dramedy" - as the title suggests, it's a 50/50 split between the two. That's not to say that it isn't, in its heart, very much a drama; the poster and tagline that suggest a buddy comedy starring Seth Rogen should not be trusted. But it refuses to ever delve into kitsch or soap-operatic melodrama; it tackles a difficult subject with maturity, subtlety and yes, a sense of humor. It's lighthearted, but never tasteless. And it's this combination that makes it so realistic, so lovable and so easy to relate to. It's never too depressing or bleak, but it's also not unrealistically optimistic; and being a positive, honest film about terminal disease, it feels very refreshing indeed.
Cinematically there's nothing very special about it. The editing and cinematography are actually very good; but just in a way that makes the film easy on the eyes and easy to connect to. Just like Joseph Gordon-Levitt's performance, which is naturalistic and very strong but also subtle and quiet - which is maybe why he was snubbed so badly during award season. The supporting cast, too, are all deserving of praise - Seth Rogen (clowning around as always, but also a surprisingly realistic and compelling character), Anjelica Huston, Serge Houde, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anna Kendrick, Philip Baker Hall and Matt Frewer all deliver beautifully - but all their performances are toned down, they don't deliver any poignant monologues or soliloquies. They're all just believable and real human beings with flaws as well as virtues.
All this makes 50/50 a film that may not leave a striking impression, but will stay with you in its spirit and its humanity - which may just be the point. It doesn't strive to be a great film, just a very good one, that diffuses some of the melodrama usually affiliated with a subject like cancer, and presents it much closer to what it would play like in reality - a part of life, one that hopefully one wouldn't have to experience, but a part of it nonetheless. It won't make any top 50 lists, nor should it, but it should be watched by everyone.