50/50

Jonathon Levine is someone who would be called an indie director; The Wackness and All the Boys Love Mandy Lane aren’t exactly mainstream. This, therefore, being an alternative film and being based on a true story seemed like an odd gimmick. Even the film’s genre is an oddity, only capable of being described as a Stoner-Bro-Rom-Cancer-Com. Needless to say, I was astounded that the theatre was packed.

The film follows the fit and healthy 27-year-old Adam Learner. He is in a relationship with an unappreciative artist girlfriend and has distanced himself from his mother and Alzheimer's-suffering father. He develops an incredibly rare form of spinal cancer. We see the weight this puts on everyone’s life around him, his friendship with his best friend, his relationship, his mother and his work. He is allocated a young inexperienced therapist in the process of writing her dissertation. We witness him deteriorate with Chemotherapy and attempt to cope with the ultimate presence of death. To be honest, if that doesn't pull your heartstrings then you are achingly apathetic.

I incredibly enjoyed 50/50 (aptly named due to the 50% chance of survival Adam suffers) for many reasons. The blend of comedy and tragedy is practically Shakespearean; they intermingle with ease leaving the aching feeling of heart-felt sincerity. I didn’t see one person leave the cinema without a smile melting like butter across their face. Essentially, 50/50 did what Funny People couldn’t: it gave a relatable interpretation of dealing with the disease. The quality of real-life is what holds the film in frame; little details like being unable to open the back door of the car when trying to clean it because of the child-lock is just so quaint it is beautiful.

Granted, the standard of the production was very standard and the boundaries weren’t pushed all that far. The editing and ‘high’-scene were typical and wouldn’t anger any production companies or dissuade any audience members. Therefore, 50/50 remained successfully within the boundaries of a ‘safe’ film (sparing any controversy over marijuana). The casting of Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the lead and Seth Rogen/ Anna Kendrick as the supports ground the film to a wider audience and was entirely believable, removing the push-pull effect of films such as (500)Days of Summer.

I am struggling to withhold all spoilers because I would urge you to see it. It reminds you of Camus’ absurdest philosophy of life: that we are all going to die and the best we can do is live like we aren’t. This is one of the finest escapist films of 2011, utterly perfect for reminding you that life isn’t all that bad, even when you think that it couldn’t get any worse: “You can’t change your situation; all you can change is how you chose to deal with that.”

If you want a smile, a laugh and perhaps a tear, go enjoy 50/50.

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