The Playlist

The obsessives' guide to contemporary cinema via film discussion, news, reviews, features, nostalgia, movie music, soundtracks, DVDs and more.

Interviews

TIFF '11 Review: Admirable, Low-Key ’50/50’ Splits Difference Between Genuinely Funny And Sad

By Kevin Jagernauth
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September 11, 2011 10:46 AM
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4 Comments

Let's get this out of the way early; the cancer dramedy, "50/50," formerly known as "I'm With Cancer," is an admirable effort by all the parties involved. There's maturity and restraint shown throughout in this story, about a healthy young twentysomething man staring his mortality in the face when he is suddenly diagnosed with a rare spinal cancer, and it's a well-intentioned humanistic drama that tries to demonstrate that life is complicated and never quite cut and dry. The measured film takes pains to illustrate there is laughter to be derived in difficult and near-tragic situations and melancholy can also be found in some of the most humorous moments. It's also a friendship movie that is wise enough to not feel like a bromance film. In fact, it feels like it comes from the playbook of master comedians like James L. Brooks, Judd Apatow and Albert Brooks who deftly understand that a little sour in sweetness and vice-versa can go a long, long way.

By Edward Davis
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April 18, 2011 12:45 PM
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4 Comments

There's sort of two ways to look at DreamWorks' upcoming civil rights drama, "The Help." Set in the 1960s during the civil rights movement, the picture is either (or probably) a) an Oscar contender, b) a literate-minded chick flick (this is a starved audience and Oprah will be endorsing this, you can be sure of it) or c) an interesting mix of the two that may have some worthwhile elements such as, say, "Julie & Julia." August isn't much of an Oscar month so we're leaning away from a), however, the respectable "Julie & Julia" came out in August of 2009 and it earned Meryl Streep a much-earned 16th Oscar nomination (she didn't win, but she's won Best Actress twice) so there is that.

By Oliver Lyttelton
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March 2, 2011 2:13 AM
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0 Comments

Zoe Saldana Wanted For Ensemble CastFrom the looks of it, Ron Howard's going to be tied up for the next few years on the massive, multi-part adaptation of Stephen King's "The Dark Tower," which will span three movies, and two TV series. This will obviously leave a significant deficit of films directed by people with the surname 'Howard.' Fortunately, someone's stepping in, and it's none other than Opie's daughter, actress Bryce Dallas Howard.