When I heard that the movie 50/50 wasdescribed as a comedy-drama about a young man getting cancer, I thought to myself what in the world could be funny about cancer? Slightly apprehensive about watching it, I finally manned up and found myself chuckling through a most terrifying situation.
27-year old Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), an employee for a Seattle radio station discovers that a constant pain in his neck is really a form of spinal cancer that has a very scary and unpronounceable medical designation (that always makes it scarier).Good thing that his pal and co-worker Kyle (Seth Rogan) is around to cheer him up. When Kyle finds out that Adam’s frigid girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) has begun cheating on him, he blows the whistle on her and the relationship comes to an end. Now, Adam has cancer and no girlfriend: What is a young chemo patient to do? Kyle advices Adam to use to cancer card to pick up chicks in the bars and the ensuing dialog in the lounge scenes are hilarious.
In the meantime Kyle begins counseling with a young therapist (Anna Kendrick) who looks like she may still be in the girl scouts. Although Kyle figures his counselor might have done some pre-school counseling, he doubts that she has anything to offer him on “end of life” advice. The two strike up a relationship, and alls well that ends well.
This story was written by Paul Reiser who actually faced a bout of spinal cancer and became friends with Rogan during this tough time in his life (Reiser is currently in remission.)
The infusion of humor intermingled with a tragic situation is done in a very clever manner and I think you will be surprised by this movie. See it.
My Rating: 3 of 5 Bald Heads.
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