#3 50/50

This is one of those movies that just missed me when it came through theaters. I love mostly everything Joseph Gordon-Levitt does, and I think any story about fighting cancer is worth my time. This movie was more than worth my time. It's in my top five great movies I've seen this year.

Excellent acting. Amazingly moving story. Hilarious. Heartbreaking. All that good stuff.

I remember seeing the first preview on IMDb, and there were comments from people who were offended by the idea that someone would dare make a comedy about cancer. My response: why the hell not!? Cancer is a big fat bitch, and sometimes the only way to deal with the biggest bitches is to laugh at them. 50/50 isn't a straight up comedy though, so don't go in expecting some terminal illness version of Knocked Up. It's an honest story about a young guy dealing with the idea of death and the idea of surviving. (I'm getting a little choked up writing this review. That's how good this movie is!)

All the characters are relatable, and I cannot give enough praises to the amazing acting of Gordon-Levitt. Seth Rogen is pretty much the same character he plays in every movie, but it works here. Bryce Dallas Howard is properly annoying, and Anna Kendrick is lovable and perfect. Anjelica Huston, though not on screen for very long, completely embodies the overbearing Mom who needs love and sympathy too.

After watching the awful third installment of the Harold & Kumar series, 50/50 was very refreshing.