50/50

When it comes to what I would consider funny, cancer is certainly something I would put at the bottom of the list. It shouldn't be funny. It shouldn't be entertaining. But surprisingly enough, a movie about cancer actually manages to be entertaining and funny. 50/50 is easily one of my favorite movies of 2011.

The plot: Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) finds out he has cancer one day, affecting not only his own life, but the lives of everyone around him. Including his carefree party friend Kyle (Seth Rogen), his unorthodox and free-spirited therapist Katherine (Anna Kendrick), his cheating girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard) and his good-hearted, but paranoid and overbearing mother Diane (Anjelica Houston).

The good: The performances here all-around the board are amazing. I dare say that this is Joseph Gordon-Levitt's best performance to date and I would say the same about Seth Rogen as well. Not one person feels like they're acting in this movie at all, it really does seem like an authentic movie about how people react when they're staring cancer straight in the face, knowing that someday it will take their last breath out of them.

50/50 also has authenticity on its' side. Most directors would probably throw in some slapstick or cheesy humor to keep the mood light, but oddly enough, 50/50 doesn't need to do that to get humor from the material. It can be quite depressing and in a matter of moments, quite hillarious as well. 50/50 uses these less than fortunate situations about cancer and disease and actually is able to get some humor out of them without having to resort to cheap humor or any bullshit like that.

50/50 actually feels quite original as well. It keep me entertained and though many movies have dealt with diseases before, I was actually entertained and eager to see how this one would play out. Will Adam live or die? Will he stay with his adulterous girlfriend or the therapist whose strong interest to keep things professional will possibly damper their relationship? 50/50 gives you the answers to these situations in a way that you almost don't see coming.

The bad: I really don't have much to say about 50/50 that's bad, but I guess the movie could have been a tad shorter. Like, maybe 10-15 minutes shorter. And it wasn't even that big of a deal really.

50/50 is one of the best movies of 2011. It's authentic, it's heartwarming, it's realisitc, the performances are wonderful and powerful, it's funny, and it will keep you entertained from beginning to end. And how many movies about cancer can you say that for?

4/4