50/50

Inspired by scriptwriter Will Reiser’s battle with cancer, 50/50 faces all of the pitfalls of a Hallmark Channel disease-of-the-week movie, and it sometimes veers into that schmaltzy territory. However, despite those moments, the film is more than rescued by its fine cast and Reiser’s sharp, funny and honest writing. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen are so good here that they deserve awards buzz. They make 50/50, performance-wise, one of the best male buddy movies in a long time. Levitt plays Adam, a young man who finds out that he has cancer. Rogen plays his best friend, Kyle. When Reiser went through his real-life cancer battle, Rogen was one of his best friends, so Rogen is essentially playing himself. There’s no question that Rogen’s experience with a similar situation propels his performance, making it perhaps his best work to date.