I found 50/50 to be more milquetoast than the reviews I have read. I went into the film expecting a touching drama with witty comedy. There were some funny moments, but the story just didn't speak to me. It felt contrived and formulaic.
The story was written by Will Reiser, and is said to be based on events from his own battle with cancer. While I don't doubt that the script is heavily influenced by Reiser's own experiences, I found the characters and situations to be contrived and difficult to believe. Even if all of the events are taken as true or accepted as not true, the story itself was average. It evoked emotional responses from me, especially a few well-placed laughs, but felt formulaic overall. I actually like many of the films Seth Rogen has done. This one is definitely not his best work. I would take Superbad or Pineapple Express over 50/50.
Minor spoilers ahead: I agree with much that has been written about 50/50 regarding the premise. A romantic comedy about cancer? That just seems like an unworkable formula. While contrived at times, the overall theme actually works. The story follows two best friends who work for Seattle Public Radio. They are nearly "Oscar and Felix" in their extremes. Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has a love affair with his Swiffer products. He is ultra-clean and anal retentive about timeliness. His best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) doesn't take life too seriously. His whole world is built around trying to get laid.
When Adam discovers that he has a rare form of cancer, Kyle is there for him. Kyle also uses Adam's cancer as bait for potential female relationships. Adam's mother Diane (Angelica Huston) is a basket case who already has her hands full with a husband suffering from Alzheimers. His consumption with his own crisis causes him to take his mother for granted. In the meantime, his girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard) who has promised to be faithful to him is caught cheating. This opens the door for a potential romantic encounter with his therapist, Katherine (Anna Kendrick). Adam outwardly accepts his condition, but is facing an inner struggle that eventually boils over. He is fortunate to be surrounded by caring people who are there to support him and help him recover.
I felt that 50/50 was uneven at times. The first half of the movie seemed to be a hackneyed coming of age movie that uses the pursuit of getting laid for some cheap laughs at the expense of Adam's cancer. I also never really connected with Adam as a character. I don't think it was Gordon-Levitt's performance, but it may have been a combination of his performance and the writing. The character seemed too disconnected from his own world to really connect with anyone else. As the movie transitioned from comedy to drama it also become more effective, eliciting a more sincere emotional response. The film felt less contrived and more heart-felt deeper into the script. The dramatic elements saved the film from being a complete flop for me.
I mentioned Gordon-Levitt's performance. He didn't wow me. While it may have been the character that was flawed, his performance didn't do anything to win me over. The jury is still out on him. I have had mixed feeling about his performances in Inception and Uncertainty and this film failed to move me one direction or the other. Seth Rogen was solid. I also enjoyed Anna Kendrick in spite of the lack of credibility in her plot line. While her character violates every premise of the medical profession (in a situation that a student would never find themselves in), she managed to be charming. Her character, in limited screen time, won me over far more than Gordon-Levitt in the lead. Angelica Huston was probably the best in an even more limited role. As a whole, the cast was solid but not exceptional.
The R rating stems from a number of sources. The film has plenty of vulgar language and seemed to have been more about getting laid than fighting cancer. The premise was designed to create some comedy, but it was sophomoric humor. It ended up seeming vulgar in spite of the context, which is part of the reason I found the first half of the film to be forgettable. The film also contains a healthy dose of drug use, albeit "legal." A brief sex scene did not show much in the way of nudity but was a bit awkward. The rating was probably fairly accurate. I would feel uncomfortable with an audience any younger than mid-teens.
I enjoyed 50/50 as a video. It just wasn't as good as the critics imply. (IMDb still has this film at an impressive 7.7/10). I have read rave reviews about the brilliance of this film and was sorely disappointed. The writing left a lot to be desired. Weak characters, cheap comedy, contrived scenarios, one plot line that was completely unbelievable and formulaic predictability were abundant. The second half of the film was like another movie, becoming slightly more dramatic and accomplishing a little bit of character development. However, it was not enough to make me call this film brilliant. It was average. It was worth renting or catching free streaming. But it was far from brilliant. 6/10.
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