50/50

Defying the odds is the very embodiment of 50/50, not just by surpassing its arbitrator title, but by creating the rarest of stories – a delightfully rowdy yet moving tale of one man's journey with cancer. Inspired by the real life diagnosis of its screenwriter, Will Reiser, whose personal experience brings a raw honesty to the story, director Jonathan Levine traverses this bitter-sweet memoir thanks mainly to the subtle brilliance of Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Adam (based on Reiser) and the bawdy charms of his best friend Kyle, played by Seth Rogen (Reiser's real life friend and based on himself).

The two friends make a wonderful pair and handle the film's descent into the blackest of comedy with aplomb. Joined by a pitch perfect ensemble cast of characters that dance between supportive and smothering, proceedings never delve into sentimentality or make light of its subject. Touching, poignant and heartfelt, rarely has a film about the closeness of death affirmed so much about life.