50/50

Breaking with tradition, I will begin my comment about a good film by not recommending it. I don’t recommend watching 50/50 on a train. I watched in on the train and I was quietly tearing up by the end, having a hard time not to start sobbing in front of the other passengers. That would have embarrassing :-D. But about the film – very good. Joseph Gordon-Levitt confirms his quality as an actor, but I feel a little sorry for Bryce Dallas Howard, who this year has played an insufferable asshole in already two Oscar hopefuls and I think I will have her forever typecast in that character. The film parades a lot of emotions, from sadness to happiness and joy, it feels natural and sincere, without any award baiting cynicism. If it cut at the strongest moment right before the ending, I would go for five stars. I won’t say the ending ruins the very positive impression, but it does reduce it. Unfortunately. Ambiguity would be fitting for a film called 50/50. (02/12/2011)

The chemistry between Anna Kendrick and J.G. Levitt works great. Seth Rogen is appropriately awkwardly funny (more comic this time around), but his role is extremely rewarding to watch and perfectly demonstrates one of the possible ways Adam deals with everything (or, also, how Kyle (ab)uses it). It was nice, even endearing, how Katherine tried to apply her studied and textbook methods to every possible situation, because she was really incredibly cute when she was embarrassed (you almost felt more sympathy for her than for Adam). In short, I've listed probably the highlights that came out of the production of this film. Three hugely interesting characters, and in all cases superbly acted. And the trio of fantastic performances, topped off with some very darkly funny dialogue (the Patrick Swayze bit nearly killed me), a nice minimalist score, and some nice (perhaps naive to some) emotional moments, deserve some of the more distinguished ratings. (09/01/2012)

Some situations in life are simply not easy. You can run, not smoke, eat fairly healthy, but it still won't save you from cancer. This bitch just appears in anyone's life, she's not exactly picky. When Adam, a young man, finds out he has cancer, he is quite surprised. On the other hand, we must realize one crucial thing - the main characters in the movie are Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen, especially the latter is not someone who plays in fundamentally dramatic films. Is it possible to approach the diagnosis of cancer humorously, or at least with a smile? More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2013/02/5050-2011-70.html (13/02/2013)

I didn’t know very well what I was getting into, I took a cursory look at the film's profile and, judging by the poster, I expected it to be another comedy with a chatty Rogen, though exceptionally well-received. I was wrong, very wrong. 50/50 is a real-life story that portrays a more or less realistic main character who has to deal with a serious illness and a challenging treatment that will change his life fundamentally. At times the narrative is quite depressing and poignant, but fortunately also pleasantly funny, unpretentious, and very personal and smart thanks to Levitt's performance. Unlike most, I didn't mind the foul-mouthed Rogen, who on the contrary brought the same freshness to the film as he did to his sick friend. It's a weird film, there are some really funny and light-hearted moments, but when you realize what's actually going on and how things will turn out, the laughter comes out a bit hard. But on the other hand, the expected happy ending finally hits us so hard that we want to jump out of our chairs, give our emotions free rein; we want to live. And this is exactly what this film is about. 80% (28/01/2013)

Finally, a film about very serious matters, presented in an accurate, balanced optic oscillating exactly between serious drama and black-humored dirty comedy, beautifully showing that even a serious illness can be treated in a different way than with tears and a feeling of helplessness. There are no clichéd platitudes or pathetic emotions, this film is dominated by common sense and a lot of brilliantly staged passages of everyday life. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has great talent and a knack for choosing roles, and Seth Rogen does what he knows best, portraying a clumsy, good-hearted, vulgar schmuck. (01/09/2016)