By Zack Gill
Arts Editor
Jonathan Levine’s latest film, the cancer dramedy “50/50,” cannot shake feeling like a schmaltzy Hollywood film, in spite of its basis in screenwriter Will Reiser’s actual battle with cancer.
“50/50,” Jonathan Levine’s follow-up to his divisive coming-of-age film “The Wackness,” upholds the director’s tradition of snappy performances and surprisingly slick film-making. However, despite some wonderful performances and decidedly morbid subject matter, “50/50” ends up as a derivative and formulaic film.
When young NPR employee Adam Lerner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is diagnosed with a rare, dangerous cancer, his life undergoes radical change. His artist girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard) struggles to deal with the stress of caring for her sick boyfriend, while his mother (Anjelica Huston) struggles with her son’s illness and her husband’s Alzheimer’s.
Meanwhile, Lerner’s best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) deals with Lerner’s cancer by using sympathy to pick up women at bars. Lerner also attends grief therapy with an incredibly young psychoanalyst (Anna Kendrick).
“50/50” contains marvelous performances from an extremely talented ensemble cast. Gordon-Levitt admirably and capably leads as protagonist Lerner. For a film with such weighty subject matter, his performance is largely low-key and underplayed, which lends itself well to the shrill yet utterly believable performance of Bryce Dallas Howard.
Oddly enough, in a cast of dramatic heavyweights (including the Oscar-winning Huston, who actually comes off as slightly annoying), comedic actor Seth Rogen gives the best performance. Not only does he display the best comedic line deliveries and timing of the entire cast, but he packs in an unexpected amount of pathos and depth to his character. Ultimately, Rogen feels the most like a real person, struggling with everyday horrors in his own, idiosyncratic way.
The biggest problem “50/50” has lies in first-time screenwriter Reiser’s script. “50/50” is surprisingly corny and Reiser is to blame. The film features some wonderful, powerful, understated writing whenever Lerner hangs around with his fellow cancer-patients, like Philip Baker Hall’s Alan.
Whenever Anna Kendrick is on the screen as Lerner’s bumbling analyst, however, things take a turn for the unoriginal. Unfortunately, her character occupies quite a bit of screen time, especially in the third act. Kendrick is a likable actress, but the quality of writing behind her character in “Up In the Air” just isn’t present in “50/50.” Kendrick’s character is annoying, and her inevitable relationship with Lerner feels forced and predictable; oopsies, belated spoiler alert. If this weren’t such a large component of the film, perhaps it wouldn’t be such a big deal. However, it is a large component, and sucks up a lot of the film’s good-writing oxygen.
“50/50” features genuine, relatable performances. If only the screenplay was as realistic as the actors attempt to make it. “50/50” is rated R and is playing in theatres nationwide.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMaJET7mD0M
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