50/50 (2011)

 To start this off positively, it's a commonly known fact that 1 in 3 people are likely to be affected at some point in their lifetime by cancer. So making a comedy about it seems like the next logical step right?

 That's what Will Reiser thought and decided to write 50/50, a comedy based on his own experience of cancer and how he and his friends coped with the news. 50/50 tells the story of Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a guy in his 20's who is diagnosed with a rare form of spinal cancer and is given a 50% chance of beating the illness. This movie follows him, his family, friends and those trying to help him as he deals with his illness and his fight against it.

 As someone who has been affected by cancer, I initially wasn't too sure about this film. It seemed to me like making a comedy about something as potentially devastating as cancer would be too much of a risk and could be viewed as insensitive or offensive. However, this film is the complete opposite. It manages to perfectly balance the humour of the situation through Adam long term friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) and his new therapist (Anna Kendrick), with the emotional  and serious aspect of the position Adam is in.

 Joseph Gordon-Levitt is brilliant. His acting is great for the comedic side, but he really comes into his own when portraying the feelings of a young man who is essentially facing death head on. There are a few scenes, for example the scene in the car before his operation, and the scene with his mother on the day of the op, in which the emotions really come through and show him to be a great actor.

 I won't lie, there are few moments where the jokes are maybe slightly insensitive, but I suppose that's what you get when you tell a story from the viewpoint of a 20 something man. Other than that, this film is a good one and was a nice surprise when I came round to watching it.