Written, directed and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Don Jon is a funny, irreverent and surprisingly deep and poignant film that looks at the nature of relationships and addiction and how often the two intertwine.

 Jon (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a fairly simple man with a simple set of priorities. He cares about his body, his family, his pad, his ride, his girls and his porn and not necessarily in that order. Given the nickname Don Jon by his buddies for his unbroken streak of ‘crushing ass’ with eights or higher whenever they go out, Jon is content to tend bar and go through the motions of his life. The one thing he REALLY loves though is porn which is the only thing that gives him the maximum amount of pleasure in its perfection and simplicity. Even all the sex he has does not live up to the perfect fantasy Jon gets to carry out in those moments watching porn. Things start to shift a bit when Jon meets Barbara (Scarlett Johansson), a 10 who shuts him down and makes him wait for sex even after they are dating. Jon feels like he has everything he wants with her but with that comes changes to his life and routine that  make him uneasy even though his Mom (Glenne Headly) and Dad (Tony Danza) love Barbara and are pushing him to get married. Now simplicity turns to complexity and an additional wrench is thrown in when he meets Esther (Julianne Moore) an initially annoying woman who starts to make him question.

 On the surface Don Jon looks like a movie about a vapid Jersey Shore reject who uses women as objects and has no redeeming value but that is just the surface. Jon’s arc here is pretty incredible and coming from the starting point he does makes the journey to the end that much more impactful. The film’s trailers only really highlight that starting point and I think have given some people the wrong impression of what is going on here but in a way that makes the movie more effective. It is disarmingly vulgar and funny at its onset which makes for the gradual transition to more serious examination of his issues much more compelling.

 The film’s original title was Don Jon’s Addiction, a title I prefer mostly because I am not a fan of the naming convention of late where they just name the movie after the main character but perhaps Gordon-Levitt found it too telling and prescriptive. The parallels drawn here between Jon’s porn addiction and relationship issues are insightful and impactful and while the movie doesn’t really lose its sense of humor it does a good job of seriously addressing these issues.  There is a lot to say and a lot to discuss about this movie but it is difficult to do in a review if only because it would lose effectiveness if the beats are spoiled.

As a director, Gordon-Levitt is confident and sure handed behind the camera. The quick cuts and rapid fire images early on might be a bit off putting initially but as the movie progresses  and the narrative changes, so too does the direction with the way the film is shot telling as much of the story as the narrative itself. This shows a great deal of thoughtfulness and strength in Gordon-Levitt’s direction and it is impressive from a first time director. That these moves and techniques are also visually interesting is also impressive.

 The performances here are pretty amazing from top to bottom. If it is difficult to direct yourself as a lead there is no evidence of it here as Gordon-Levitt is fantastic as Jon, completely owning and giving life to a character that is something of a stereotype going into the film without making him feel like nothing more than a caricature. Jon feels very real and it is surprising just how much the audience cares about him. Tony Danza stands out as Jon’s Dad, an old-school Italian who is rough around the edges but seems to genuinely care about his family even if his delivery of that care is pretty rough. It is great to see Danza again and he really nails this part. I hope this makes for a Travolta sized resurgence from him. Scarlett Johansson is wonderful as well also completely committing to her performance 100%. Her character is not the most likeable but she is perfect in the performance without letting her character off the hook. Julianne Moore is quirky and heartbreaking in equal measures and effectively grounds the craziness of some of the other characters. Glenne Headly is excellent as Jon’s mom and Brie Larson turns in a mostly silent performance as Jon’s sister who is still very effective with nothing but looks around her cell phone.

 

As steady as the movie is, there are some issues here involving the pace. There are moments that drag a bit more than they should and the ending is a bit abrupt but there is nothing here to seriously derail the film.  As mentioned earlier, it is very vulgar right out of the gates which may be off putting to sensitive viewers. I feel like that should not deter from the film as it makes a particular statement and is also very, very funny but the film’s audience will be limited as it is something of a barrier for entry.

Conclusion [9.0 out of 10]

Don Jon is a terrific first effort from an actor who has proven to be a talented writer and director as well. While punches are not pulled in terms of content and that make some viewers shy away from it, I recommend this wholeheartedly. The R rating is earned and should be deserved but the substance and depth that are found here makes it worth sticking through some of the more outrageous sections.