50/50

Cancer is a difficult subject to deal with in film, a film about cancer that is as funny in places as it is poignant is near impossible. 50/50 achieves it beautifully. The film is based loosely on the true story of the films writer Will Reiser and is produced by his former co-writing partner Seth Rogen. Rogan also plays support in the film to Joseph Gordon-Levitt who takes the lead role as Adam.

Jonathan Levine expertly directs this low beat film that opens with Adam, a cautious safety first 27 year old who won't even pass his driving test for fear of the odds of being involved in a major accident. He works for a radio station in Seattle, with his best friend Kyle (Rogen). He is in a relationship with want to be artist Rachael played by Bryce Dallas Howard. He has a distant relationship with a mother who smothers him and a father who barely knows who he is due to Alzheimer's. His life is turned upside down when going to his doctor about a running injury to his back turns out to be a rare form of spinal cancer. Adam researches the illness on the internet realising his chances of survival are literally 50/50.

The film deals with the challenges that Adam faces and the relationships he has with the people in his life. He also meets new people, two fellow suffers Matt Frewer as Mitch and Philip Baker Hall as Alan are the older pragmatic sufferers doing all that they can just to live another day. They take Adam under their wing but also waste no time in telling him exactly what he is in for with regards to chemo. He also meets Katherine a fresh faced therapist in training that to start with is woefully under equipped to be providing support to cancer patients. The film deals with what happens after the cliché sentiments have been said and the real challenge of dealing with an illness that is as mundane as it is devastating begins.

The cast whatever their respective ages are all experienced and bring that to the story with excellent effect. Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives a very strong performance. Seth Rogan is fantastic as the gloriously inappropriate buddy who uses his best friends illness to get himself set up on dates but deep down is rooting for Adam more than anyone can imagine. Matt Frewer and the ever excellent Philip Baker Hall play their parts with the right mixture of pathos and humility. Mitch's line to Adam "jeez you know the more syllables your illness has, the worse it is" is as funny as it is brutally stark. Angelica Huston turns her character around 180 degrees from over bearing mother to a heartbreaking sympathetic woman watching the most important people in her life fading away from her. Katherine is played by one of the best up and coming young actresses of her generation Anna Kendrick who has also starred in the Twightlight series of films and the George Clooney hit Up in the Air. Adam's doctor is a wonderful cameo as he delivers the bad news with an alarming lack of emotion or empathy.

50/50 is a rare jewel of a film, despite it's subject matter it is in the end a feel good movie. It's emotional but it's also full of laugh out loud moments. Scandalously over looked for nominations for the Oscars but no matter 50/50 will linger long in the memory, don't be afraid of the subject matter, embrace it, you'll feel better for it.