The new 50/50 Film plus other references.

I have just seen the new film 50/50 which is a comedy about a young cancer sufferer's journey.
What is there about cancer that is remotely funny I hear you ask; a good while ago when survival rates for all types of the disease were so very low I would have wholeheartedly agreed with you.

These days and whilst still far from even good in a lot of areas it has improved immeasurably with all the advances in operating techniques and medication. Perhaps as the state of mind is a valuable tool in any treatment's success there should be a place for humour also.

A while back I watched the first season of The Big C, a 'comedy drama' TV series with Laura Linney playing Cathy Jamison who was diagnosed with stage IV Melanoma.

As one of many struck down with cancer, but supremely fortunate to be surviving this 'Beast' of a disease, I had great reservations about even giving this an airing. However, remembering very well our chemo ward and how we could sometimes make the most absurd and often personally embarrassing situations funny - and in doing so lightened the load for a while at least - I did see the whole series.
I am glad that I did as it was exceptionally well written and acted.

As to this 50/50 film, as far as I can find out it is loosely based on a true story where Adam, a 27 year old is diagnosed with a rare form of spinal cancer. His girl friend does not cope with the situation too well and sort of bails out, with a bit of a shove. Adam, though has the help of his brilliant but often quite obscure best friend, his mother, and notably a very young therapist at the cancer help centre who is herself learning her way in the therapy world. He begins his journey and in doing so learns what and who the most important things in his life are.

The acting is quite something with the leading characters played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogan and Anna Kendrick turning in equally superb performances.

There are of course those purists who will needlessly point out the medical inaccuracies within the piece whilst forgetting to mention some of the events accurately portrayed in the film that hit you like a sledgehammer, if you have been there.

Overall it is very well worth seeing and I really hope it gets to DVD very soon.

Re: The new 50/50 Film plus other references.

Hammer thank you for the review, I will look out for the film .

Re: The new 50/50 Film plus other references.

Yes, thank you Hammer, I too, will look forward to seeing the film sometime.