50/50: The word cancer isn’t taken lightly but what if it was?

              Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who played the sweet, innocent boy from “10 Things I Hate About You” and the heartbroken fool from “500 Days of Summer” does an excellent job playing the role of a young, brave man whose life quickly changes in the utmost negative way.

“50/50”, which is inspired by a true story, is a humorous, yet heartbreaking film depicting the traumatic, yet eye-opening journey of a man who’s diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer. The title directly correlates to the over-all motif of this film; it is half funny and half depressing. The title also links to Adam’s (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) chance at survival, leaving the viewer with suspense. This serious, yet comedic filled movie is a tear jerking, knee slapping must see.

Seth Rogen, the hilarious dude from “Knocked Up”, “Superbad” and “Pineapple express” plays Adam’s best friend Kyle. Rogen keeps the audience pleased with comic relief as he plays the funny, carefree friend who tries to make everything positive for Adam. The contrast between Levitt’s pessimism and Rogen’s optimism creates a heartfelt feeling as the lines between the sadness and laughter become a shade of grey. It’s not black or white, funny or sad, it’s a mixture of both. Rogen and Levitt form a hilarious team as they challenge the serious aspect of cancer in a light hearted way.

The director of this life-changing film, Jonathan Levine, who is also known for “All the boys love Mandy Lane” and “The Wackness” does a wonderful job at laying this whole plot out. You don’t understand how true Levine stays to the journey of a cancer patient until you watch it. Levine seems to be the low man on the totem pole, as his films have been mostly independent documentaries that never got much attention. But after “50/50” touches the heart of its viewers, this director on the rise will be well known and very successful.

Levitt plays the role of a young man whose life is all planned out. He works at a local radio station; he has a beautiful girlfriend who is stands by his side and a mother and best friend that would do anything in the world for him. Until one day his morning jog turns his world upside down. After a sharp pain in his back and a doctor’s visit, Adam finds out he has a very rare form of cancer giving him a 50/50 chance at survival.

Devastation strikes the audience, as you watch Adam lose his hair, become brittle and throw his guts up from chemotherapy. But the real tear jerker hits when his girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) cheats on him leaving him down on his luck and even more depressed than before.