50/50 (2011)

50/50

When a young man discovers he has cancer he has to rely on his best friend and a new counselor to pull him through his ordeal.

When "Adam" goes in for a routine check-up after experiencing trouble breathing while jogging, he is hit by the shock announcement that he has cancer. Not only does he have to face up to this bombshell, but he also finds out that his not so supportive girlfriend has been cheating on him with some artistic types.

As he struggles to come to terms with his own mortality, he is assigned a rookie counselor "Katherine", whose first assignment is to talk "Adam" through the biggest crisis of his life, while she is still struggling to come to terms with her own issues. She has to deal with his anger towards the illness that is ravaging his body, but also try to keep the relationship professional, while trying not to fall in love with her patient.

Adam's best friend "Kyle" is there for him through thick and thin, always smiling, always joking and often dipping into the medicinal marijuana, but as the chemo kicks in and some of the people he meets start falling prey to the illness, even their seemingly unbreakable relationship comes under strain. A trial operation is "Adams'" last hope of beating the disease, but he will have to face his worst fears to come through it.

This has to be one of the finest films of 2011. Two comedic actors in Joseph Gordon-Levitt who plays "Adam" and Seth Rogan who takes on the challenges of "Kyle", both facing up one of the hardest topics there is, with sensitivity and respect.

If you had told me before I saw this film that you could make a film about cancer in a comedic fashion, I would have thought you were mad, and also in very bad taste, but these two superb actors, known mainly for fluffy outings like "500 days of Summer" and "Knocked Up", confront this mammoth task with a sense of maturity, that shows they have grown so much as actors.

Yes, there are many, many funny moments in this film, where the audience will feel guilty for laughing and such a horrid topic; but the way the film is put across, you feel that more than enough respect is paid to this horrendous disease, and a vitality to fight it, is the eventual winner in this piece.

Anna Kendrick does a superb job as "Katherine", pushing aside her roles in "Twilight", to prove that she really can act. Keep an eye out for her in her next few showings as I have a feeling there are big things to come from this Tony nominated actress. Hollywood legend Anjelica Huston does incredibly well and the mother of "Adam", in her first mainstream movie since "The Darjeeling Limited" in 2006. It is good to see her back.

This film is a true cinematic treasure and should be a staple in any movie collection. I look forward to seeing further collaboration between these two fine comedic actors, who, although being superb in their comedic genre, seem to have struck a rich vein of form in a more serious role.

8.5/10