Jan 28: 50/50*

"Inspired by a true story, a comedy centered on a 27-year-old guy who learns of his cancer diagnosis, and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease."

   Joseph Gordon-Levitt is due for an Oscar any day now as he proves, yet again, that he is one of the elite actors working today. It is in his realism and honesty that makes 50/50 the rare kind of film that hits every single emotion and makes you want to hug the cancer out of him. 50/50 is a movie that knows the topic of cancer is taboo, but handles it with a reverence so real you can't help but feel for the characters on an entirely different level. A part of this may be that the film is written by Will Reiser, who wrote the film as an almost autobiography. Seth Rogen, who not only stars in the film but also produced it, is good friends with Reiser and told him to write about cancer as a way of coping. I feel that, because of this, Rogen is better than ever. 

    50/50 is a simple film with a heavy topic that pulls the hearts strings and makes you cry, laugh, and surprisingly feel good about life. The movie shows that life is hard and unexpected but, when you have family and friends, you can get through anything. 50/50 makes you appreciate what you have, be it a best friend, a significant other, parents, or life itself. It teaches you that even in the darkest of moments, humor exists, and you are never on your own. 

   When a film like 50/50 is pitch-perfect in its casting, acting, and story, there is not a lot else needed. In the simplest form, 50/50 shows that you don't need flashy special effects or explosions to make a movie worth watching. Realism and honesty go so much further than Hollywood leads on, and more films like 50/50 need to be made. Sure, a movie with as much heart as this one is rare, and it is because of that fact that we appreciate them even more, but 50/50 needs to be seen as an example of what a film should be. 

Sight: The film is almost a peek inside the lives of these characters, and it is all fun and heart wrenching to watch. 
Sound: 50/50 has a great soundtrack, with songs from Pearl Jam, Radio Head and even the Bee Gees.
Skill: Phenomenal is the best word to describe the acting. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is absolutely, utterly underrated and his work needs to be recognized and awarded as soon as possible. 
Script: The script of 50/50 is just as solid as its acting, and without it, the film would not have as much heart as it does. 

Overall: 9.6/10

Best Quote:
Adam: "See, but... that's bullshit. That's what everyone has been telling me since the beginning. "Oh, you're gonna be okay," and "Oh, everything's fine," and like, it's not... It makes it worse... that no one will just come out and say it. Like, "hey man, you're gonna die." 

P.S Levitt is not only doing a great job in Hollywood but he also has a website called hitRECord that encourages everyone and anyone to work together to make art of any kind, be it photos, films or music. 

Check it out at www.hitrecord.org