50/50

Impressions before seeing it
I like Seth and Joseph, and it looked like one of those nice feel good comedies.

How was it?
I don't know how well it goes over when people refer to this as a "cancer comedy", because it's a delicate subject for some. If this movie took it too seriously, it might be considered too morbid, and if it didn't take it seriously enough, it might be considered insensitive. Much like the title, it appropriately balances that tone somewhere in the middle. It doesn't make fun of cancer - in fact I think it illustrates well how downright scary it is when your chances don't look good - and it's not a film about being optimistic in spite of it. Nor does it blatantly try to shoehorn jokes in just to spread funniness around an unfunny subject. It's just here to paint a picture of what someone might go through, and the funny situations that, strangely, do arise from having cancer. For the most part, it's not a laugh out loud comedy, but more the kind that makes you smile because you believe it. Ultimately, I think what really makes this worth watching is the chemistry between the characters. Rogen and Levitt made for fun BFFs (though I often find Rogen fun to watch anyway), and Levitt's scenes with Anna Kendrick, who plays his quirky, inexperienced therapist, had even more charm to them. Anjelica Huston was a tad annoying as the overprotective mother, but it was an entirely truthful character.

Recommendation
For anyone who went through a cancer struggle, 50/50 might feel too close to home for them, which could be good or bad depending on your attitude. But personally I think the movie's tone is perfect for its subject matter, and it's very enjoyable and heartfelt without having too much emotion at either end of the spectrum. How it didn't get a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars this year (they only picked 9, it's not like they didn't have room for one more!), or at the very least Best Screenplay, is beyond me.