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50/50: A Review

I do not know what inspired Jonathan Levine to combine comedy with CANCER, out of all things, but it was aesthetically done. 50/50 explores the life of Adam(Joseph Gordon Levitt) who has a rare form of spinal cancer. The plot revolves around the way he deals with it with his friend Kyle(Seth Rogen) and his constant battle to choose between himself and the people he holds dear;it is based upon a true story.

The Pros:

The best thing about the movie is the cast. Gordon-Levitt is a hugely talented actor and he provides his best stuff in 50/50. His portrayal of the humble,gentle and affable Adam is done with astute perfection and I cannot name any other cast who could have done a better job. He gives the 'good guy' vibe like no one else with his angelic, innocent smile and halfway through the movie you will be thinking " Can a guy be so naive?"

Seth Rogen is a born comedian, and this stage comedian turned actor lives up to his expectation. His expressions are timed to perfection and they are pant wetting funny. The best part of the movie was when Kyle caught Adam's girlfriend cheating on him and then busted her( I effing hate her!).

Another character that caught my attention and held it was Katherine played by Anna Kendricks. Katherine is Adam's psychiatrist and to Adam's utter surprise is only 24 years old, too young to be a doctor. She keeps on missing Adam's  euphemisms and is portrayed as a young doctor who is not sure what she is supposed to do. Kendricks beautifully expressed the untidiness and insecurity that her character demanded. I simply loved watching her in the movie.

The movie also had some other minor characters like Adam's chemotherapy buddies, his (ex) girlfriend, his mother, who over exerts herself in order to take care of him, and all of them were tied together in a neat little knot.

The Cons:

I will be blunt here, the movie is a little boring during the opening scenes. You have to power through quite a few segments before you are attached to it. 50/50 solely depended on Rogen to provide the humour and to me this is a negative point. Had Rogen's performance not been top notch, this movie would have lost all its flavor.

Even the ending was a little sketchy.I will not go into details for the fear of giving away too much, but let me just tell that it does not add up. You'll see what I mean when you finish watching it.



50/50 takes us inside the mind of a cancer patient, which is a place obscure and unknown to us and it gives us a chance to glimpse into this shadowy land.Overall, I would give this movie a 7.5 out of 10, and would recommend it.It is a nice way to slump in your chair with a snack in your hand and blow away a boring night.

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