Wednesday, March 21, 2012

50/50

Director Jonathan Levine's third uneven feature has the audacity for being bold by making a comedy about cancer. Screenwriter Will Reiser based the story on his own experiences when he was diagnosed with cancer and his struggle to overcome it with his family and friend. There's nothing wrong with humor when dealing with tragedy but Levine and Reiser go more for the laughs at the cost of the characters which misses a great opportunity. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars with a solid performance but the characters around him are one note caricatures which ultimately derail the film. The veterans like Anjelica Huston and Philip Baker Hall manage to make an impression in their underwritten roles but Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick and Bryce Dallas Howard recycle familiar performances from their respective better films. 1001 Films' coverage of films on DVD.

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