Sarnia

In 50/50 Joseph Gordon Levitt's meek nice guy discovers he's got cancer and has, you guessed it, a 50/50 chance of making it. That's about as complex as this semi-true story gets, the autobiographical story of its screenwriter who survived cancer. It must be said at the start that nothing on display here, with regards to the trials and tribulations of suffering from cancer, is anything that hasn't been covered before. What makes this film different, is the approach it takes with regards to the process of recovery, interjecting a variety of characters who in turns, aide, hinder or downright disrupt matters. Seth Rogen delivers what I think is he best performance to date, admittedly in a tailor-made role, as Levitt's best pal, who's advice consists mostly of getting high or getting laid as much as possible. Yet at the center of this male bonding, is a real sense of love and friendship which rings true and provides a nice offset of depth to the proceedings. As does Angelica Huston as the overbearing mother, and the adorable Anna Kendrick as the rookie hospital social worker. You know where it's going and where it's gonna end up the whole time, but the ride is worth it because of strong characters, and steady doses of humor.

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