50/50 (2011) Review

How do you make a comedy about something that you shouldn't make fun of? Honestly, how do you pull that off? I for myself don't have any clue but obviously some filmmakers do. Look at La vita e bella by Roberto Benigni. A comedy set in a concentration camp? It works! Look at Life of Brian. A comedy mocking the life of Jesus Christ? Controversial but also laugh-out-loud funny. (Also, thank you Monty Python for one of the most quotable movies ever.)

You get the idea, it's possible to make comedies about tough subjects. And here comes one about cancer. 50/50 is about Adam, a 27 year old radio show writer living in Seattle. He has a best friend who is all about getting some with the ladies and a girlfriend who is just a complete tool. Oh, and he also gets diagnosed with cancer.

Our lead Adam is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and he does a great job. His performance is very understated, he rarely plays it for tears and never goes over the top. He's not always likable but that just adds to the authentic feel of the movie. Seth Rogen as his best friend Kyle is just perfectly cast, he has the funniest lines and shares a good chemistry with Gordon-Levitt. Normally I am not too big of a fan of him, too much of his humor seems to be just unoriginal, annoying stoner talk but here Rogen is just in his element.

The performance that got my closest attention was the one by Anjelica Huston as Adam's overly worried mother. While she doesn't have too many scenes, she's outshining everyone else on screen. I bet she's gonna be snubbed by the Academy but in a just world she'd get nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

What makes this movie ultimately succeed is not just the great acting but also a very authentic and realistic feel. There are so many hilarious scenes in it that are just perfectly balanced with very well written characters that one can't help but go with it. I really want to see this film get the audience it deserves, especially considering that it's gonna be released one week after the crappy Taylor Lautner vehicle Abduction. Just think about it, what would you rather see, a talentless laughingstock starring in an awful Bourne rip-off or a well acted, remarkably funny film that will stick with you long after you've left the theater? Tough call...