Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Scarlett Johansson
Julianne Moore
Rob Brown
Glenne Headly
Brie Larson
Tony Danza

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

90 mins.
Comedy, Drama, Romance
September 27, 2013

Rated R for strong graphic sexual material and dialogue throughout, nudity, language and some drug use. (MPAA)

“Don Jon” is an unconventional romantic comedy/dramedy about a stereotypical New Jersey Italian guy who has a porn addiction. He’s played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. (This is Gordon-Levitt’s directorial and screenwriting debut, as well.) He cares about only a few things in life (“my body, my pad, my ride, my family, my church, my boys, my girls, my porn”); he recounts these in the opening montage. He has sex with plenty of women (eights or above that he and his two friends, played by Rob Brown of “Finding Forrester” and Jeremy Luke of “Mob City,” rate), but it can’t compare to masturbation and porn.

Later on, he meets a “dime” played by Scarlett Johannson. She’s a stereotypical New Jersey bombshell who manipulates the hell out of him; he’s oblivious to this. She convinces him to wait over a month to have sex, agree to stop watching porn, and enroll in a community college class. While in class, he meets an older woman, played by Julianne Moore, who annoys him with inappropriate comments and questions. He introduces his girlfriend (the bombshell) to his family: his mother (Glenne Headley of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”), his father, and his sister (Brie Larson of “Short Term 12”) who’s busy texting in every scene she’s in, except for her final one when she supports him with a surprisingly insightful comment. They all go to church together every Sunday, where Jon confesses to the same kind of sins and receives the same kind of penance each week. Tony Danza, as the father, has a hilarious reaction to the girlfriend; and the mother is overjoyed.

Eventually, the girlfriend finds out that Jon hasn’t stopped watching porn and breaks up with him. He confides in the older woman … and they begin a sexual relationship. But this woman opens his mind, as well. This helps him to both give up porn and confront the “dime.” He views sex in a new light by the end.

Gordon-Levitt has crafted a film with non-stop pacing (until the end) and spot-on rhythm. At times, he uses quick cuts à la Danny Boyle’s work or Darren Aronosfky’s work in “Requiem for a Dream.” Every moment may not be funny, but it’s certainly entertaining.

The actors play their stereotypes to perfection. And while there’s some explicit material here, of porn especially, it’s sharply edited. It’s not overdone.

“Don Jon” is a seemingly superficial and expertly repetitive comedy, but that’s the point. By the end, it shifts into more of a drama as Gordon-Levitt’s and Moore’s relationship develops; but the ending isn’t overly long (thanks so much). The transition from comedy to drama works for the most part, but it’s not perfect. Regardless, I got a kick out of watching this.

Verdict: Very Good

About: (Source: facebook.com/DonJon)

Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a strong, handsome, good old fashioned guy. His buddies call him Don Jon due to his ability to “pull” a different woman every weekend, but even the finest fling doesn’t compare to the bliss he finds alone in front of the computer watching pornography. Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) is a bright, beautiful, good old fashioned girl. Raised on romantic Hollywood movies, she’s determined to find her Prince Charming and ride off into the sunset. Wrestling with good old fashioned expectations of the opposite sex, Jon and Barbara struggle against a media culture full of false fantasies to try and find true intimacy in this unexpected comedy written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.