50/50

What would you do if you had a 50% chance of surviving an illness? Would you change your way of living? Would you make impulsive decisions? Would you give up? Adam Learner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a vigilant 27-year-old journalist that strains to live a clean lifestyle. He exercises often, avoids alcohol, and never smokes in order to be as healthy as possible. In addition, he refuses to drive a car because of the potential threat of getting into an accident. Although Adam does everything in his power to stay safe, he is diagnosed with a rare cancer that gives him only a 50% chance of living. His life is slowly torn apart because of his illness. His girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard) becomes distant, his best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) does not know how to handle the situation, and his therapist (Anna Kendrick) is inexperienced. As he deals with chemo and constant stress, Adam’s initial morals and lifestyle are tested. He is forced to make vital decisions that will change his life forever.

On the surface this film seems to be overwhelmingly depressing with no possible outlet. Although cancer is no joke, this film uses humor to tell Adams's story. As Seth Rogen’s character attempts to help  Learner, he makes mistakes, says the wrong things, and provides the audience with some comic relief. For instance, Kyle makes Adam use his cancer as a mechanism to get girls. It is done in such a playful harmless way that the audience immediately falls in love with the two friends. The script is well thought out and forces viewers to experience a constant roller coaster of emotions. In addition, Joseph Gordon-Levitt never fails to impress. His performance is absolutely mesmerizing. I would call this film a truly brilliant comedic drama.