Climbing Higher Pictures

Seth Rogen’s Untitled Cancer Comedy? Yep, that’s what this movie was referred to as for quite some time, possibly all the way into the start of shooting. If you think making light of cancer could be a polarizing premise, you’re not alone, and the question remains… is this an honest and touching look at a man going through the most traumatic experience of his life, or is it just a brutally offensive and insensitive continuation of the raunchy Apatow formula? Find out below:

50/50 Review

by Ryan Hamelin

Movie Grade: A-

No matter what is said about 50/50 in the coming weeks, the one thing everyone will agree on is that it is an absolute surprise. Marketed as a straight comedy about cancer, a subject which wouldn’t necessarily lend itself to the kind of raunchy humor Seth Rogen has built his career on, the film is actually a brilliant drama with funny, likable characters. This is a real movie, and I defy any viewer to not get wrapped up in the lives of these people. You want him to survive, and the film has a perfect balance in its pacing and tone that prevents you from being able to guess what will happen next.

Joseph Gordon Levitt is fast becoming one of the most impressive actors of his generation. He’s got great supporting parts under his belt in films like Inception and the upcoming Dark Knight Rises, while also generating quite the filmography as a quiet leading man, the kind of guy you want to watch for several hours at a time. It’s a major progression from his teenage years on 3rd Rock From The Son, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he started getting some awards season buzz for his performance here. Seth Rogen seems like an interesting choice as his childhood best friend, until you realize that he’s doing something here that he’s rarely ever done, playing it straight. Rogen comes across as that goofy dude you knew back in high school, the guy who’s just as likely to cheer you up as he is to use your terminal illness as an in for getting laid. This isn’t a caricature of Seth Rogen, this is a real guy, and he’s responsible for some of the film’s best moments. Last, but certainly not least, is Anna Kendrick, playing Levitt‘s young therapist who has yet to really figure out how to do her job effectively. She’s adorable in the role, and the bond that emerges between them defies the easy cliches it could have taken on. In case you hadn’t noticed by now, the casting of the film is pitch perfect.

The direction, by Jonathan Levine, isn’t flashy or forced, though his placement of musical montages and the way he segues in and out of them can feel awkward and unintentionally humorous, at least in the early going. He gets to the heart of the characters with speed and grace, and before long you feel that familiar tug on your heartstrings as events begin their downward spiral. As I mentioned earlier, the greatest trick the marketing team pulled has been convincing people that the comedy is everything, potentially drawing a large audience to a movie that is so much more than a collection of punchlines. The genre itself is a question I will leave to those with much more criticism experience than I, though a good story doesn’t really need to fit into an established classification.

There’s a reason 50/50 is on the top of so many reviewers best of fest lists is that it truly is the whole package. The scope of the movie is deceptively small, while the audience is as expansive as any epic. The only thing standing in its way is the fact that a lot of people don’t really seem to know what to think of the film yet, and curiosity alone will not put bodies in the seats. Good word of mouth is where they will live and die, and maybe, just maybe, it’ll have legs that will last it through the awards season doldrums and sappy academy plugging melodrama. I’d still give Drive the edge in my personal favorites list, but I’d be very surprised if 50/50 doesn’t hold a spot in my year ending Top 11. Check it out, it’s certainly worth the look.