Beaks here...
Of the many topics that don't readily lend themselves to comedy, few are more daunting than cancer. It's a horrible disease that has almost certainly affected someone you know, and as you get older, the odds of it popping up again only increase. It's not something people like to think about, but... it's there. And like so many frightening things in life, sometimes the best way to engage it is with humor.
There have been many tragicomic movies in which cancer plays a crucial role, but the characters are usually further along in life, while the subject matter is typically handled by veteran writer-directors. The forthcoming 50/50 is a rarity in that it's a young person's film about dealing with a cruelly unexpected diagnosis when one's life is just getting underway. And what makes the film truly affecting, and often very funny, is that it's been conceived by a real-life survivor, screenwriter Will Reiser.
I don't know exactly how "autobiographical" the movie is; I just know it's really goddamn funny, and boasts spectacular performances from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anjelica Huston, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick and Bryce Dallas Howard. It sounds like Summit PIctures is taking the film to Toronto, and I expect it'll make a good deal of noise there, perhaps even generate some awards buzz for Gordon-Levitt and Huston. As you'll see from the trailer, which was just posted to Apple's trailer site, it's got a surprisingly light and irreverent tone that keeps the whole picture from getting weighed down in "woe is me" misery. A good deal of credit for this must go to director Jonathan Levine, who brought us THE WACKNESS back in 2008. There's palpable sadness and fear in this film, but Levine and company consistently avoid straying into maudlin territory.
50/50 is a confidently-crafted movie that earns its laughs and its tears. Don't let the subject matter scare you away. This one is well worth seeing when it hits theaters September 30th.
