Monday, October 31, 2011

Movie Review Monday #24: 50/50

And now, a guest movie review from a woman who reads this blog faithfully and gave birth to me: Mama! You can call her Robyn. (And you can read more of her thoughts at her blog, http://graceisgr8.blogspot.com/)


Hello, Lobsters! I’m filling in as your Monday Movie Reviewer due to my daughter Emily’s lack of viewing new movie releases (do you think she might be just a smidge busy lately?). You will find that my criteria is a bit different for indicating my approval/disapproval. When you’re married to an entertainment narcoleptic, the greatest indicator of an intriguing movie is staying awake; hence, we go with “eyelids up.” Just be advised.

50/50 is a dramedy in the vein of Steel Magnolias or Terms of Endearment, with clever, realistic writing. In this film, we can attribute the realism to its writer actually being the subject of this “based on a true story” script. The story centers around a manly friendship cemented by warm, unexpressed feelings, profanity and the overwhelming desire to have multiple intimacies with the opposite sex (and how cancer can be used to make these conquests much simpler). But be aware, Lobsters, this is not a chick flick or soggy tissue cinematic event. There are ample opportunities for deep emotions to not be expressed and heartfelt words to not be said. Instead, they are replaced by some actions that speak rather subtly though there is no need for decoding.

Joseph's days of shoulder length locks are gone.

Adam is played by the multi-talented Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who can take a single thought and, with the tiniest glint in his eye, convey a clear message. He's a 27 year-old boy/man with a quiet, meticulous existence whose life has been interrupted by the inconvenience of a rare form of cancer. The story unfolds and settles itself around Adam’s incongruous best friend since childhood, Kyle, played with dry profanity and inappropriate commentary and suggestions by Seth Rogen. No spoiler alert here, because if you can wade through the language and a brief but awkward and completely honest scene with Adam and a bar conquest you will recognize the sparkles and gems that twinkle out in this delightful film.

Highlights:
·        Bryce Dallas Howard as Adam’s self-centered girlfriend. Pitch perfect.
·        Anna Kendricks as the young therapist who tugs at your heart. We  love her!
·        Angelica Huston as Adam’s overbearing mother who is caretaker to his father who has Alzheimer’s (by the way, big thumbs up for the guy who plays Adam’s father. Just watch him - you’ll be amazed).

All in all, Lobsters, I would recommend this movie. And for myself and Mr. Boyd, we give it two eyelids up!

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