50/50








Director - Jonathan Levine

Genre - Comedy/Drama


Cancer and comedy? Really? As impossible as it sounds, this actually worked like a dream. If the script was written as an all out comedy, it would've been in bad taste. Giving the illness most of its attention would've killed the affability of the film, turning it into a common tear-jerker. Jonathan Levine the director put in just the right amount of funny and heartfelt elements, which isn't easy at all if you think about the subject. We imagine a lot of filmmakers wouldn't even go near this combination of terminal disease and laughter. Joseph Gordon-Levitt had never really impressed us before. We thought he looked too much like a man-child. All that has changed now. As the leading man here, he has stepped up his game considerably and we believe he will take the world of acting by storm henceforth. Even the music got us humming along so pleasantly we felt as though it was the soundtrack to our own lives.

4.5 STARS!

All about 50/50

Comments

amy said…
Really? You've never been impressed with JGL before? Which other of his films have you seen?
February 23, 2012 at 10:25 AM
Dan O. said…
Mixing humor and painful subject matter is, naturally, very difficult. The beauty of this movie is that it does so with ease, especially with such good actors in these roles as well. Good review.
February 23, 2012 at 7:16 PM
1minutefilmreview said…
Amy - We saw him in 'Brick' and '500 Days of Summer'. Found him quite annoying. He was in 'Inception' too but that part could be played by almost anyone except Stevie Wonder. Then boom, out of nowhere we saw this movie and he turned us completely around. It's like he could walk on water. Never have we been so wrong about someone before. Well...there was that other time when we thought the lead actor in 'The Notebook' wouldn't amount to much. We hope we're not wrong about Justin Bieber though. Heard he is venturing into acting...never say never?

Dan - Very true there. They nailed it. Killed two birds with one stone as they say. This is a very modern and thought-provoking movie too. A little like 'Funny People' but done with more finesse we think. And let's face it. Sandler and Levitt? That's like comparing Jack Black and Jack Nicholson. Thank you for the comment. Hope to hear more.
February 24, 2012 at 12:35 PM
amy said…
LOL, you have no vision xD Everyone could see Ryan Gosling and his beard had talent. Come on, one needs talent to make such material flourish.

I'm surprised you didn't think much of him in Brick, but I do understand finding him annoying in 500 Days of Summer.

You should maybe try Mysterious Skin.

And... Bieber ventured into some acting on CSI, though... his acting was really quite bad, to be quite honest. Like... sucking the life out of it.
February 26, 2012 at 10:51 AM
1minutefilmreview said…
Guess we were just not ready to accept Levitt as a leading man back then. And we're pretty bummed Gosling didn't get a nomination this year.
February 27, 2012 at 1:54 AM
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