Review by Gareth James
Stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anjelica Huston, Philip Baker Hall, Matt Frewer, Andrew Airlie, Serge Houde
Written by Will Reiser
Certification UK 15 | US R
Runtime 100 minutes
Directed by Jonathan Levine
Making a film about cancer, and a comedic one and that, is never going to be easy. It’s a credit then to director Levine, screenwriter Reiser and lead Gordon-Levitt that 50/50 is an uncompromising, but never maudlin take on the effects of the disease.
Gordon-Levitt is Adam, a young radio scriptwriter in San Francisco who receives the shock news that he has an advanced form of back cancer. Supported by his best friend Kyle (Rogen), and dealing with a girlfriend’s guilt and his mother’s anxiety, Adam attempts to cope with the day-to-day-struggle of the disease and his uncertain future. Reiser based 50/50 on his own experiences with cancer, and channelled through Gordon-Levitt’s unassuming presence, he explores the mundane routines and moments of extreme drama with a carefully balanced touch.
This is not a gross-out comedy about cancer, nor is it an earnest disease story. Seth Rogen’s presence ensures some lighter moments, but the comedy is driven by character quirks and irony rather than broad set-pieces. There is also room for a tentative romance between Adam and his young therapist (Kendrick). A comparison might be made to Juno, albeit without the hyper-stylized dialogue, or Little Miss Sunshine, for alternating distinctive characterization with sharply observed pathos to provide an accessible take on a difficult subject.
Early in the film, Adam admits to feeling neither depressed or happy, but somewhere in-between. Underplaying drama to increase the impact of an emotional final third of the film, Levine and cinematographer Terry Stacey consequently present Adam’s San Francisco as a near-constant haze of grays, built-up urban streets, hospitals, and dimly-lit apartments. Complemented by an alt-indie soundtrack, 50/50 is tightly crafted and paced, but is above all rooted in another excellent performance by Gordon-Levitt. Able to move easily between blockbusters and a wide range of character roles, he provides an always-engaging emotional centre to roles, and helps make 50/50 one of the most impressive independent features of the year.