Final Review - 50/50 (2011)

50/50 is something that you don’t see very often: a movie that’s almost entirely predictable, yet completely honest and original.  Let’s be frank: it’s a heartwarming comedy-drama based on a true story of a young guy’s struggle with cancer.  How do you think it ends?  The fascinating thing about 50/50 though, is that it doesn’t matter.

This is also probably the first movie in history that is entirely about cancer (not counting documentaries).  Many plots have centered around the impact of a life-threatening disease: Royal Tenenbaums, Bucket List, Funny People, and everything Nicholas Sparks has ever written.  But this is the first time that a movie has, in itself, tried to completely represent the experience of having cancer.  There is, of course, plenty of drama going on around the cancer, involving the friends and family of the protagonist, Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).  But we rarely, if ever, see these people on their own, apart from him.  We follow behind Adam’s shoulder through the whole movie, because the movie isn’t really about his social life.  It’s about the cancer.  If you were asked to describe the plot of this movie, you wouldn’t say, “it’s about a guy with an overbearing mom”, or, “it’s about two best friends living together.”  You would describe it with one word: “cancer.”  If you had to describe the overall theme behind the movie, it would be “cancer.”  And years from now, if someone were to ask you, “hey, what was the name of that one cancer movie?”, it’s probably a safe bet that 50/50 will still be the only response.

Not only is this movie based on a true story, one of the most crucial people in that story has a starring role as himself.  Seth Rogen’s friend, Will Reiser, was the one who came face-to-face with the silent killer in real life, and he took the liberty of writing one hell of a screenplay about it.  The plot requires nearly no explanation: after complaining of back pain, the protagonist learns from a doctor with an ice-cold demeanor that he has an extremely rare form of spinal cancer, a freak chance of genetics (as Adam himself says, “I don’t smoke, I don’t drink... I recycle.”)  How accurately Adam’s experience mirror’s Reiser’s own is irrelevant; what matters is that he created a brilliantly human story, from a subject that could have all-too-easily slid into a trap of heavy-handedness and saccharine.

Seth Rogen, as mentioned, plays himself, as “Kyle”, Adam’s roommate.  A friend once said of Seth Rogen’s career, “No Acting Required.”  And though this seems like it would be more true for this movie than anything, he poured his heart into this movie in a way that had yet to be seen, and may not be seen again, in any of his films.  Of course, Seth’s presence immediately demands comparison to all the other participants in the wave of “heartfelt-but-R-rated” comedies that Judd Apatow kicked up when he made 40-Year-Old Virgin all those years ago.  But this movie isn’t quite like Knocked Up, or even Superbad, another film lifted from Rogen’s real-life experiences.  Somehow, the dialogue in this movie sounds like real people having real conversations, instead of a bunch of comedy actors improvising pop-culture analogies.

However, Rogen isn’t the only one who acts the hell out of this movie.  You may have already heard plenty of buzz about Anjelica Huston’s role as the aforementioned overprotective mother.  Bryce Dallas Howard fits right in to her role as Adam’s girlfriend, a girl with even more problems than the mom.  And Anna Kendrick proves, in the wake of Up In The Air, that she is more than a one-trick pony.  Her role is especially crucial, as she provides another example of how the movie manages to subvert its own predictability.  Her character, the “psychiatrist with her own set of issues to work out”, has of course been done to death, but she makes her book-smart, socially-dumb awkwardness believable and real.

That’s the strength of this movie: it does for human interaction what countless “indie” movie have tried and failed to do over the past decade.  Unlike “Juno”, or the previous Apatow comedies, it refuses to drown in its own quirkiness.  Nothing in this movie is a quirk for quirk’s sake, and because the creators have abandoned this barrier between the audience and the movie, we feel what we are supposed to feel as an audience.  Even though the subject matter presumes itself to be dead-serious from the beginning, it never insists on us, never forces us to feel something, never becomes “cancer just for the sake of cancer.”  And if you’re now worried that you won’t be able to make it through this one without a good supply of Kleenex, rest assured, it is still a comedy at heart.  And it’s funny.  Not only is it funny, it’s naturally funny: we don’t need a clearly-stated punchline and pause to understand when we’re supposed to laugh in this movie.  Two of the best comedic roles in the movie go to Matt Frewer and Philip Baker Hall (The latter is one of those character actors that you’ve seen a million times but just can’t place.  He was the guy in Boogie Nights who convinced Burt Reynolds to switch to videotape.)  The pair plays a couple of old dogs who Adam meets through his chemo treatment, and turn Adam on to the benefits of medical Marijuana, in addition to providing an uplifting perspective.  Seth Rogen, as mentioned, turns in possibly the best performance of his career, so it goes without saying that most of the laughs come from him.  The amazing thing is how he is able to make us laugh even during one of the most emotional scenes (without spoiling anything, the scene is about 1/3rd of the way in... you’ll know it when you see it.)  But the bulk of the praise has to go to Mr. Gordon-Levitt.  He’s the reason that this movie is able to get so up-close and personal with cancer.  His Adam is heartbreakingly familiar, a guy you could swear you’ve known all your life.  But no matter who you identify with most, see this movie.  If anything ever deserved an Oscar, this is it.

Three Favorites: Book, Album, Movie

Book - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas:

Great, great book.  Plenty has been said about this book already, but in today’s age of 4chan and Anonymous, it’s important to give respect to the original troll.  Hunter S. Thompson just absolutely did not give one single fuck.  It’s not even a story about drugs.  Yes, it’s amazing that he can get away with being on so many throughout the entire ordeal, but really, its about how well he is able to manipulate society, despite the fact that by anyone’s call, he fits the exact description of a social outcast.

Maybe that’s why he can get away with so much; people pay just enough attention to him to allow him what he wants, and not quite enough to realize just how reckless he really is.  He plays off the assumptions of everybody around him, mingling casually and amicably with such sworn enemies as hotel managers, cops, and car salesmen.  Many people have seen the movie, and it’s still great, but certain scenes simply can’t do the book justice.  For example, the part in which he gets pulled over is elaborated on much further, offering a deeper glimpse into exactly how he is able to talk his way out of it.  And the cop does not, in fact, ask him for a kiss at the end of the encounter: that was probably added because the cop was played by Gary Busey.  Another great scene in which Hunter pretends to be a cop in front of several officers visiting the police convention, was omitted from the movie.  It is the little moments like this that offer a true glimpse into his mind, and give the book far more personality than the movie could ever have.  A must-read classic, even for squares.

Album - Bringin’ It All Back Home:

This album was from Bob Dylan’s transitional period.  He was making a big shift in style, both by moving from acoustic to electric, and changing his lyrics from emotionally-charged folk ballads to surreal, absurdist, rapid-fire beat poetry.  It also marked a major shift in his fan base; some of whom deserted and dismissed him as a “Judas”, others who had never been able to get into his music before he plugged in.  “Bringin’ It All Back Home” is a perfect freeze-frame of this period, down to the fact that only the first side of the album is electric; the other remains acoustic.  This album also houses what Hunter S. Thompson considered to be his greatest song, “Mr. Tambourine Man”, as well as what this reviewer considers to be (arguably) his greatest song, “It’s Alright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding.”  Both of these are found on the acoustic side, but the electric side has its shining stars as well.  “Subterranean Homesick Blues” and “Maggie’s Farm” both require no further praise, as well as the trippy, Carrollesque, often-overlooked “Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream.”  Of course, it’s impossible to pick a favorite Dylan album.  “Times They Are A-Changin’” and “The Freewheelin’” are tied for number one from his early folk period, and “Highway 61” and “Blonde on Blonde” are undeniably great, even though they are a little too abstract at times.  But “Bringin’ It All Back Home” just seems to be a perfect sampler of what makes Dylan Dylan.

Movie - In Bruges:

Wow.  That’s all that can be said after the credits roll for this movie.  Without giving anything away, the ending of this film is one of the most perfectly bittersweet in film history, the kind that just makes you sit there for five minutes in stunned silence, trying to put a finger on exactly how you feel.  And this is a movie that involves hit men, suicide, mindless violence, and midgets on horse tranquilizers.  But make no mistake, this is an incredibly deep, intelligent movie, and more importantly, it is so without isolating itself from the average viewer.

This is a movie that everyone should be able to enjoy, except maybe for those kinds of people who like to put themselves in situations where they can get offended and complain about things.  The subject matter is black as night, but it’s always handled from the most down-to-earth perspective; there is plenty of violence, but it is not gratuitous, and certainly not unwatchable.  Of course, if you like British crime dramas, you’ll love this movie from the very beginning.  But it tackles subjects pertaining to life, death, right, and wrong that even The Godfather or Goodfellas don’t explore as deeply.  And it explores these things without being the least bit esoteric; actually, it’s also really, really funny.  If you care at all about film as an art form, see this movie.  And even if you don’t, see it anyway.  You’ll still love it.

BriTANicK: Web Site Review

The title page for the sketch comedy duo “BriTANicK” introduces them as “two guys wasting their degrees.”  This seems less like a joke when you read the description for their longest, most elaborate film, “Eagles Are Turning People Into Horses” (don’t even ask).  The movie was a Thesis Film for NYU, and according to the creators, it “garnered no support or money from any of the faculty, and nearly got [Brian McElhaney] thrown out of class.”  However, scroll down a bit further, and you’ll see beamingly positive reviews from three other sources, including the Chicago Tribune.  Creators Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher certainly know what they’re doing, even if we don’t.

However, the pair has been producing truly hilarious comedy shorts since long before the making of this film.  Ever since it has gradually become easier and easier for people to share videos around the world, there have been a lucky few who have managed to explode into fame (okay, not Leo DiCaprio fame or anything, but still, fame).  The Whitest Kids U Know is an excellent example of this, and each season of their show has been consistent in its wit, proving that the requirements and restrictions of TV format do not automatically cause people like this to run out of ideas.  Derrick Comedy had enormous potential, but their movie, “Mystery Team”, was a giant turd, and Donald Glover is now too busy doing stand-up and writing for 30 Rock to go back and rekindle the hilarity.  Somebody needs to step up and take their internet fame to the next level, and if Nick and Brian aren’t next in line, they’re certainly one of the most promising contenders.  In fact, Nick already landed a guest spot on an episode of Louie, a show that’s probably destined to go down as one of the most brilliant comedy shows in history.

Their website, www.britanick.com, has a refreshingly simple layout.  No flash, no flair; even the background is relaxing, looking like a wall out of a house from Santa Fe.  The different pages of the site are clearly placed at the top of every page, and their entire collection of videos is listed in mostly-chronological order.  Among their biggest gems are “Herpex”, “A Talk With Dad”, “Brainteasers”, and “Fudge”, though that last one may only appeal to fans of “A Christmas Story.”  Their humor is a bit on the dark side, but never too uncomfortable, always absurd enough to stay truly funny.  It also helps that the production value on even their earliest, cheapest videos always looks at least decent; it’s obvious that they care about the visual experience just as much as the humor.

The next time you find yourself wasting time on the internet, check out www.britanick.com.  They could be the next big thing.  At least, it’s about time they were.

Breaking Bad - Season 4, Episode 13 - "Face Off"

A good tagline for the first two seasons of Breaking Bad might have been, “So, it has come to this.” A good tagline for the current season, then, would be, “Mother of God, what the hell is wrong with me? Why, oh, why, did it have to come to this?!”

Make no mistake, this isn’t to say that it’s a bad show. In fact, quite the opposite; if season three didn’t manage to cement its status as one of the single greatest TV shows ever created, this season has pushed it above and beyond. For the uninitiated, Breaking Bad centers around Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a middle-aged high-school chemistry teacher who starts selling meth to cushion his family’s future, after he is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer (tough break, considering he doesn’t even smoke). He takes on a partner named Jesse (Aaron Paul), a former student of Walt’s school who has already broken into the meth game, albeit weakly. They quickly establish themselves with the purest product this side of the Mississippi, but as the show progresses, their numerous flaws conspire to make nearly all of their victories hollow, and no matter how many problems they manage to solve, they always seem to just end up creating newer, much bigger ones. Jesse’s flaws are generally the usual pitfalls to be expected from a twenty-something punk with no real direction in life, but every character in the show manages to defy stereotype, and he is no exception. He is smart, but not educated, good at heart, but rough around the edges, and the irony of his character is that the more that Walt condescendingly underestimates and pigeonholes him, the more Jesse starts to overestimate himself. Whenever Jesse abandons common sense and charges headstrong into danger, it’s usually in reaction to Walt somehow belittling him. Of course, this ends up creating trouble for both him and Walt, who then chastises him even further. Jesse’s flaws are tragic, but we’ve felt like we owe it to Walt to go easy on him because of the cancer. Well, the cancer hasn’t been mentioned for a very long time now, and it’s getting easier and easier to hate Walt. At first, it was possible to chalk his brazen behavior up to extreme shock over his diagnosis. But now it’s become apparent that his numerous flaws were simply amplified by the cancer, not created by it. Walt has an attitude that the whole world owes him something for being so damn smart, and he has a paper-thin tolerance for anybody who doesn’t match his standards of intellectual superiority. Season two was about the fact that all of his actions have consequences, even if he doesn’t want to admit it. In this season, he is now either fully aware or completely in denial about these consequences, but it doesn’t matter, because he simply doesn’t care either way. In fact, looking back on the show with season-four-tinted lenses, it becomes painfully clear that he may never have cared about anyone else’s problems. Whenever he’s needed something from someone, he will stop at nothing to get it, even if it means hurting people along the way. But throughout the show, when Jesse has approached him with serious, sometimes life-threatening problems, some of which have even been Walt’s fault, he has coldly dismissed Jesse with some variation of the phrase, “It’s your mess. Clean it up.”

You’re probably wondering when this review will get into any details about the actual episode. Well, it’s pretty hard to talk about the plot of this episode to anybody who knows the show without ruining anything, and to someone unfamiliar with the show, it’s practically impossible to explain the events of the episode without the preceding four seasons worth of context. All that can really be said is that the title, “Face Off”, is probably the best indication of what to expect. It is a final and breathtaking clash of powers that have been building slowly episode after episode, and the climax elevates the already incredibly deep characters into something bigger than themselves, something larger than life. But in this ultimate payoff, this creation of legends, there is still an emptiness. There is a lingering feeling that what has happened in the episode, while stunning, was not really supposed to happen, that it always could have been avoided if not for Walt. And with this, the creators of Breaking Bad have accomplished something amazing; a perfectly crafted show, honestly poetic yet completely gripping to average viewers. The main character, the person we follow and who we’re supposed to identify with, has made a seamless transition from being brash but lovable in seasons one and two, to being the fool that we love to hate in season three. And now, with this season finale, the circle is complete, and Walt has completely and unapologetically become the shows only remaining villain. There is a great moment in this episode when he is attempting to contact his crooked lawyer, Saul (Bob Odenkirk), and gets into an argument with Saul’s secretary. It is a perfect example of how the consequences of Walt’s actions don’t even seem to register with him; this woman has been inadvertently taking crap from him ever since Saul took him on, and now that the two are finally face-to-face, it is revealed that her plight never even occurred to him. Veteran viewers of the show will remember Walt’s cowardly and tragic act toward the end of season two. Well, in the end of this episode, he does something damn near unforgivable. If you don’t hate him already, you will now. But you’ll still love the show.