50/50

★★★

(2012)

Cancer and comedy make for odd bedfellows in Will Reiser’s own true script about a young radio producer dealing with a rare form of the disease and the reactions of his friends and family. Adam (Joseph Gordon Levitt), overly mothered and quiet; finds out exactly what his chances early on in the film and sets about dealing with the news in the best, calmest way possible, against the grain of the characters of his vulgar but lovable best friend Kyle (Seth Rogan), his cold girlfriend Rachel (Bryce Dallas Howard), his mental, tired mother (Anjelica Huston) and his young therapist Katherine (Anna Kendrick).

The Wackness director Johnathan Levine guides 50/50 exceptionally well along a line in a film which has garnered some criticism for the light hearted treatment of chemotherapy and medicinal pot smoking. Not to mention using being terminally ill to score women, the film uses these light jibes and flaws in character which ring out as the most human (though not morally perfect) to put a real spin on what it really must feel like to be told some truely world shattering news.

Joseph Gordon Levitt adds another measured little performance to his ever growing indie cannon and Rogan does his big bear comedy in a slightly (slightly) less bellowing manner. Kendrick is sweet and funny as the novice therapist and although wavering slightly into tearful Terms of Endearment territory the end of the film, 50/50 stands up as a rewarding and brave comedy about something we shouldn’t talk about and try forever not to think about.