Levine shows potential in 50/50

Whether or not his new film, 50/50, had a better script, stronger development, or just more cohesion behind the scenes, Levine delivers a very strong sophomore effort, one that’s currently holding a very juicy 93 percent “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 50/50 follows the story of a young man, Adam, played by Joseph Gordon Levitt, diagnosed with cancer attempting to find the best way to deal with the unexpected news. He’s accompanied by his best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) and his protective mother Diane (Angelica Houston), who has a burden of her own in taking care of her Alzheimer’s-stricken husband. Levitt’s character is assigned to a therapist (Anna Kendrick) to help him through the process, which creates both a potential love story and the necessary conflict and resistance for the story to work. There’s something on the surface of this movie that seems weak, maybe even shallow; just from looking at the trailer you get the sense this may not be the most tactile movie for the story content. But, in reality, they pull off a smooth and surprisingly sensitive exploration. In a way, this movie appeals to those most easily emotionally-manipulated individuals. Don’t get me wrong, it’s extremely touching in some parts, perhaps even profound, but a lot of it is undercut by the humour and, as a I mentioned before, weakness. It’s a touching as Little Miss Sunshine without a lot of the human charm; this film’s charm is often forced and definitely scripted. I enjoyed the film, I really did. I laughed a lot, but I didn’t cry, at all ... unlike my friends who left the theatre wiping their eyes. It’s not like I have a heart of ice - I cried for Toy Story 3 for crying out loud - but this film feels too much like ... a film. What I’m saying sounds redundant at best, but it’s one thing to watch a film, enjoy it, and leave the theatre fully aware you have just watched a work of fiction, and another thing to watch a film and be completely transported into other persons’ lives. I understood where I was supposed to cry and where I was supposed to laugh, and let’s just say that one was a much more natural reaction than the other. It’s almost as though I’m obligated to cry because of the nature of the film, but I didn’t need to cry. The laughs are completely natural, but the sad notes don’t ring entirely true. And that’s fine — this film didn’t have to warrant tears from the audience, but that’s the direction that it ultimately took. Looking back, I understand why I felt a little unfulfilled leaving the packed theatre — I felt guilty for not taking the cues and reacting with tears when necessary. Seeing my friends gush over a movie that they now apparently loved made me think that I was missing something. Did I not get the memo? No, I just have been made a little more cynical from film studies about what is prompted and what is reactionary in the viewing of a film. Now, the brightest spots in this story are the actors. The uber-talented Joseph Gordon Levitt proves why he is the in-demand indie actor that he is. He is Sundance’s Ryan Gosling. At this point, he can make the bubonic plague seem high-larious. Seriously, he’s a sharp-witted cutie-pie with a heart of imaginary gold - a superlative description if ever there was one. His charm is balanced out by Seth Rogen’s obnoxious charm. I really like Rogen as a comedic actor. I think he walks a thin line between annoying and profound, but he usually nails it. And for all intents and purposes, he does so in this film. As the perfectly obnoxious best-friend, Rogen has some absolutely profound moments of comedy, one of them being the best scene in the film. His stoned teddy-bear persona pays off ten-fold in this character. This film benefits a lot from a strong script and an even stronger cast. They sail through potentially clumsy moments, some of which are complete screen writing cop-outs. Even if it feels like it’s pushing itself to be this groundbreaking moment in comedy-drama (and stumbling), it still has a lot to offer as a comedy that attempts to give a unique take on a special subject.