Jonathan Levine’s masterpiece 50-50 is the ideal rain time indulgence for those of you with a craving for strong emotion or just a little melancholy drama in their otherwise mundane lives.The movie is one of those pieces of art that captivates its audience beyond the norms of regular screenings, portraying a realistic tale of a cancer victim and the strains of circumstance that the illness pits against even the most well-tempered of men.

The exceptional quality of the storyline being the novel perspective from which it’s told prompting its viewers to first regard cancer patients to be as human as they themselves are and secondly highlighting the unpredictable and often difficult to suppress human spirit and its capacity to engage and cling onto life in the most threatening situations.

Adam Lerner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is the face of an average law abiding citizen whose reluctance to question authority and enduring inability to commit to anything other than what is the safest most rational of conditions portrays him as a rather dull unremarkable character from the word go, personifying a gentle and caring nature with a strong unwavering aura of stability around him.

On the other hand, his best friend and co-worker Kyle (Seth Rogen) is the very opposite, characterized by a reckless abandon to the very safety Adam stands for and a rather exaggerated inability to conform to authority and societal norms.

The characters extend their strong personalities into their relationships, Adam is in a stable committed relationship with Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard) an artist with an increasingly difficult to tolerate level of fake nicety characteristic of the bimbo stereotype she falls under and a rather blatant promiscuity.

The match is a poorly chosen one the viewer is made to understand from the very early scenes of the movie and is further cemented by Kyle’s strong disapproval of the couple, while he himself engages in intimate relationships with multiple women throughout the movie showcasing his happy go lucky temperament.

The limited amounts of characters around who the plot unravels creates a strong and detailed character analysis in the viewer’s mind and offers an opportunity to relate to the characters who each personify positive traits as well as negative ones.

The first shift of pace occurs when Adam is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that leaves him with a fifty percent chance of survival (hence the movie title). The irony of the diagnosis is so well captured by both Adam’s sheer disbelief and Kyle’s reaction to the news, transmitting a strong message to the audience challenging the basis of faith on which we survive and with alarming clarity sheds the spotlight on the fickle nature of life.

Adam even though shocked initially accepts the illness with surprising placidity and nonchalance, a far cry even to the calm stability that he personifies. The movie mainly focuses on the gradual yet inevitable pressure that the illness and his impaired functioning causes on his otherwise adamant nature and as the movie progresses, it becomes increasingly easier to see the cracks on Adam’s exterior show as he struggles against the illness as well as the relationship he has with his friends, family and girlfriend.

The major addition to the movie’s character set comes in the form of inexperienced therapist Katherine McKay (Anna Kendrick) who after a rather shaky start begins to achieve her purpose contrary to her limited past experience in the field.

The message thus conveyed to the viewer in my opinion, being that of the importance of human touch in medical care which in this case trumps that of medical knowledge and experience. The gradual bonding between client and therapist is one of many delights weaving a simple straightforward romance even within the inhibiting circumstances.

Yet another pleasure is the evolution of the friendship between Adam and Kyle which integrates elements of fun, understanding and companionship in what is probably one of the best retellings of a true story.

The movie winds itself into a rather cliché yet satisfying ending, which even though might not be the harshest of realities compels an emotional response in the audience. The movie is a simple plot with a moderate yet regular pace that however does a commendable job in capturing the hearts of those who indulge in it.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Review by Dilshan Seneratne)