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50/50 (2011)
Summit Entertainment
Blu-ray Disc Released: 1/24/2012
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Review by Mike Long, Posted on 1/20/2012
Any competent movie will attempt to make a connection with its audience. Most do this by trying to find a common human experience or emotion. This seems like a fairly easy task, for as different as we all are, they are plenty of things which we all have in common. However, in order to be entertaining, the movie must take these universal themes or ideas and then do something interesting with them. This is where the challenge comes in. 50/50 is a small, quiet film which is able to accomplish this task.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in 50/50 as Adam, a public radio employee who lives in Seattle. Adam lives life on the safe side, so he's very surprised when doctors find a tumor on his spine. Feeling that his mother (Anjelica Huston) is smothering him, Adam turns to his best friend, Kyle (Seth Rogen), and his girlfriend, Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard), for support. Determined to beat this thing, Adam starts chemo-therapy and strikes up a friendship with two older patients (Matt Frewer and Philip Baker Hall). As the treatment progresses, Kyle tries to find ways to distract Adam and make him feel better. Adam begins to see Katherine (Anna Kendrick), an interning therapist who is still trying to find her way. Adam makes his way through the stages of grief and he begin to realize who his real support system is.
50/50 takes the formula discussed above and works it to a T. The film focuses on Adam, a seemingly normal and happy young man who suddenly learns that he has a serious illness. This creates a great deal of anxiety, anger, and sadness. Even if you've never had an ailment of this caliber, you can understand the fear which Adam is experiencing. The story adds an extra level of humanity and irony by having Adam be such an ultra-safe and cautious person, thus underlining the idea that no one is immune from medical issues. The story, based on the real-life experiences of screenwriter Will Reiser (Paul Reiser's cousin), takes the time to do a detailed exploration of Adam's experience and feelings. It wisely shies away from focusing on the medical aspects of this condition and focuses instead on the emotional.
The movie makes things even more relatable by avoiding melodrama. Adam is the epitome of "normal" before getting sick and the movie benefits from his down-to-earth life. The scenes between Adam and Kyle are very honest, but they are also very funny. (Rogen is a friend of Reiser's and was with him when he was sick.) Their reactions are very realistic ones. There are no histrionics or "Oscar moments" here -- just two old friends who use humor as a way to deal with a crisis, something which many of us do. Will some of their raunchy humor or Kyle's insistence that Adam can use his illness to his benefit rub some the wrong way? Of course, but it also comes across as very realistic. And while Rachael certainly isn't a likable character, her reaction to Adam's condition is genuine and something which I feel certain happens in real life. The most refreshing character in the film is Katherine. As a Licensed Counselor, I can tell you that being an intern is incredibly scary and it's so nice to see a therapist portrayed in a realistic fashion for once, as opposed to the cold and distant "experts" which we usually see.
50/50 falls into a category that I like to call a "solid film" -- it's very good, but not great. The movie does get kudos for bringing a fresh approach to a story which we've seen before, but the important thing here is that we have seen this before. Movies about serious illness are nothing new and the movie can only break so much new ground. For the most part, the pacing is good, but the movie does drag a bit in the middle. On the plus side, the acting here is top-notch. Gordon-Levitt is a great "everyman" dealing with an awful situation, and Rogen proves once-again that he's a great sidekick (as opposed to lead, as in
The Green Hornet). The movie's only real negative is the final scene, which may come off as sweet, but, trust me, it's wildly inappropriate and hopefully, unrealistic. That aside, 50/50 offers some laughs, some tears (one scene in particular shows the emotional power of cinema), and an honest look at the human condition.50/50 may contain the best Saw joke ever outside of
Scary Movie 4 on Blu-ray Disc courtesy of Summit Entertainment. The film has been letterboxed at 1.85:1 and the Disc contains an AVC 1080p HD transfer which runs at an average of 25 Mbps. The image is very sharp and clear, showing only a hint of grain and no defects from the source material. Director Jonathan Levine has shot the film in a very natural manner, so the colors look good without being overly flamboyant. The image is never too dark or bright. The picture shows a good depth and the actors are nicely separated from the backgrounds. The level of detail is notable as well. The Disc carries a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which runs at 48 kHz and an average of 3.8 Mbps. The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects. Being a dramedy, we aren't overwhelmed by dynamic audio effects here. The stereo effects are well done and show good separation. A nightclub scene offers good surround sound and the music gets the subwoofer involved. Otherwise, this is a solid track which allows the all-important dialogue to shine through.The 50/50 Blu-ray Disc contains a few extras. We begin with an AUDIO COMMENTARY with Seth Rogen, Producers Evan Goldberg & Ben Karlin, Writer Will Reiser, and Director Jonathan Levine. The Disc contains five DELETED SCENES which run about 6 minutes, and can be viewed with optional commentary from Levine. These are all brief, and there's a nice moment with Adam and Alan (Philip Baker Hall). "The Story of 50/50" (8 minutes) has interviews with Rogen, Reiser, and Goldberg who talk about how they dealt with Reiser's cancer. The piece then looks at Levine and his work on the set. The crew then share stories about those close to them who have dealt with cancer. "Life Inspires Art" (9 minutes) examines four scenes from the film to see how they mirror what really happened with Reiser and his friends. This is interesting merely due to how candid the speakers are with their memories. "Seek and Destroy" (2 minutes) takes us on-set for the scene in which the painting is destroyed.
Review Copyright 2012 by Mike Long