50/50
Screen Rant ’s Ben Kendrick reviews50/50
There are a lot of bankable movie pitches out there with low - risk box agency potential : giant golem that fight to the death , or an adaptation of a popular young adult novel - but the filmmakers behind the dramedy50/50had their employment veer out for them . A half - humorous / half - character dramatic play tarradiddle about a young guy who discovers he has cancer,50/50is certainly a challenging sell , even with a gifted dramatis personae - and resulted in several pre - release name change for the film , i.e. I’m With CancerandLive With It .
The various stages of Crab treatment , more than any other affliction , will belike be conversant to moviegoer - and with that closeness comes a tricky proportion , see many people in the audience will have close ties to someone who has combat the disease . Ultimately50/50 , and director Jonathan Levine ( The Wackness ) , have to find a meaningful middle ground between deal a very conversant topic issue with dignity and sensitivity while also delivering lot of evacuant moments that help keep the story from reminding audiencestoomuch of real life .
So … did the filmmakers win or does the challenging50/50subject thing result in an disjointed farrago ?
Fortunately,50/50is more the former rather than the latter . strong performance and very " credible " persona moments elevate the film above what could have simply been a distinctive raunchy comedy with a controversial premiss . That order , the later second in the story tend to cancel the Libra the Balance and stray off from the more grounded constituent of the first two acts , i.e. there ’s a fortune of melodrama.50/50incorporates an ambitious set of events and , by the end , some make better than others - while a few are overtly jambon - fisted and chock up into the story .
As mentioned , the50/50story follows " healthy " 27 twelvemonth old , Adam ( Joseph Gordon - Levitt ) who unexpectedly reveal the back pain he has been experiencing is an highly rare form of genus Cancer that ’s threatening his life . As Adam embarks on a difficult and belligerent class of treatment , he attempts to make sensation of his shattered life as well as assert " normal " kinship with his ego - absorbed girl , Rachael ( Bryce Dallas Howard ) , off - the - rampart but reliable good friend , Kyle ( Seth Rogen ) , and over - protective female parent , Diane ( Anjelica Huston ) . Anna Kendrick rounds out the roll as Dr. Katherine " Katie " McKay , Adam ’s therapist - who , despite a deficiency of experience and awkward demeanour , attempts to avail Adam open up about his touch so that he can tackle his condition with open heart .
The taradiddle was broadly based on screenwriter ( and Rogen collaborator ) , Will Reiser ’s experience with a similar form of cancer . However , while Reiser ’s journey add a lot of weight unit to the more meaningful and dependable moments in the film , his familiarity can at time over - extend its reach - as a few of the tat story lines come across importantly less bona fide . As a result , second to moment , the scenes are credible and interesting to observe ; but in some case , the result side effect of the transactions is n’t just earned .
It ’s well-defined the50/50filmmakers were struggling with the movie ’s counterbalance - toeing the line of especially dark and sore theatrical role dramatic event only to subsequently cover by trying to lighten things up too much . While lighter moment are definitely appreciated ( and mostly good ) there are sentence when certain panorama descend across as force , or at the very least , unearned - as well as counterintuitive to how a particular character might really conduct given the post .
This imbalance is peculiarly evident in the last act of the motion-picture show , where some of the most interesting ( and heartrending ) character interactions occur - as well as some of the most belligerent " story over substance " relationships are tied up . One panorama in particular between Adam and his female parent is especially profound and masterfully handled , delivering a sinewy point about living in the face of possible death . Whereas the relationship between Adam and Katie is a little act harder to reclaim in the closing scenes of the production - since it ’s never really lay down why the healer becomes so connected to Adam . As a event , while the theatrical role is actually one of the sharp-worded inclusions , she ’s poorly served in the first two number - with very trivial foundation for Kendrick to build from so as to trust Katie has any reason to really care about Adam out of doors of therapy .
50/50 is a comedy-drama directed by Jonathan Levine, featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Adam, a young man diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. The film explores Adam’s journey through treatment and his relationships with his best friend Kyle, played by Seth Rogen, and his therapist Katherine, played by Anna Kendrick.
That said , every extremity of the shape strike the mark in50/50.Gordon - Levitt summons the same insidious ( and demented ) emotional complexness as his character Tom , in(500 ) day of Summer.50/50would be nowhere without the counterweight that Gordon - Levitt is capable to strike , transitioning from humour katharsis to evocative character drama- especially in one surprisingly sum - wrenching instant toward the end of the film . Rogen , who many moviegoers will no doubt expect to do his normal comedy schtik , find an impressive groove ( perhaps because of his connection with Reiser ) and brings unexpected fear to the project - while still delivering some of the best , and raunchiest , line in the film . Kendrick ’s Katie is another in - over - her - read/write head character ( following an impressive crook inUp in the Air)who , in a form full of characters who are all scramble around trying to make sentiency of their character in Adam ’s condition , found the proceeding with a bit of intentionally awkward stableness .
Anyone expecting50/50to be another instalment in Rogen ’s string of raunchy ( albeit dear ) character comedies ( Knocked Up , Observe and Report , Pineapple Express ) will probably be overpower by the grave dramatic moments - as the film accept itself , and its subject matter , very seriously . However , moviegoer who are expect for a thoughtful and intriguing story , grounded in real world character response , that also manages to offer some cathartic laugh , will very belike enjoy 50/50 . Despite a few overt " Hollywood " moments , and some ham - fisted character interactions,50/50is a self-colored attempt at presenting a cancer storey on the magnanimous screen - antineoplastic drugs , great deal brownie , and all .
If you ’re still on the fencing about50/50 , check out the trailer below :
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50/50is now in field of operations .
50/50 is a comedy - play directed by Jonathan Levine , have Joseph Gordon - Levitt as Adam , a young serviceman diagnosed with a rare form of genus Cancer . The film explores Adam ’s journeying through intervention and his kinship with his best friend Kyle , play by Seth Rogen , and his therapist Katherine , played by Anna Kendrick .
