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50/50 (2011)

Director:
Jonathan Levine
COUNTRY
USA
GENRE
Drama/Comedy
NORWEGIAN TITLE
50/50
RUNNING TIME
100 minutes
Producer:
Evan Goldberg
Ben Karlin
Seth Rogen
Screenwriter:
Will Reiser


Cast includes:

CHARACTER ACTOR/ACTRESS RATING
Adam Lerner Joseph Gordon-Levitt ½
Kyle Seth Rogen ½
Katherine McKay Anna Kendrick ½
Rachael Bryce Dallas Howard
Diane Lerner Anjelica Huston
Richard Lerner Serge Houde
Dr. Ross Andrew Airlie
Mitch Barnett Matt Frewer
Alan Lombardo Philip Baker Hall

 

Review

An impressively realistic and nuanced chronicle of a 27-year-old cancer patient enclosed in a somewhat Hollywoodized wrapping which includes the goofy (albeit warm) comic-relief friend and the customary (albeit sweet) romantic ending. Joseph Gordon-Levitt excels in the lead; he plays Adam with a sensible level of understatement, not falling for the temptation of frequent and loud emotional outbursts. It is Gordon-Levitt's performance which gives the film the authenticity to balance its otherwise lightweight comedy and predictable structure. I have no doubt that Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anna Kendrick could make a cute couple, but their romance here is too plot-driven and convenient to befit the film's otherwise intelligent handling of a serious subject matter that most people will be able to identify with in one way or another. The ever-charming Seth Rogen gives us another hour-and-a-half of his now familiar on-screen persona. And considering the fact that 50/50 evidently is loosely based on writer Will Reiser's own battle against cancer, accompanied by real-life friend Rogen, I suppose we must now conclude that Rogen's just being himself in front of the camera. I'm excited to see how long his 15 minutes will last.

Copyright © 27.2.2012 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang

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