Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a man of many talents, and he demonstrated them exceedingly well in Don Jon (2013) as director, writer, and actor. It’s a hat trick I was initially wary of regardless of my admiration for his work in both 50/50 (2011) and Inception (2010)–not from any doubts in what the man can do, but from this movie’s subject matter.
Don Jon is a 90-minute film that definitely earns its R rating from the get-go. Lots of cussing, lots of pornography. No, not X-rated, people, (whoa there slow down) but the viewer cannot doubt what’s going on if they’ve eyes and ears. The story focuses on a young man named Jon, who’s famed among his friends as “the Don,” for his ability to seduce the sexiest girls every night. And yet his activities cannot touch the feelings he receives from porn.
Well, enter Barbara (Scarlett Johansson), a voluptuous New Jersey vixen (and damn, hearing that accent from both actors was so odd), who snares Jon’s senses and demands that he gives up his internet fixations. See? On the surface, the movie sounds none too special, and prone to cliches. Fortunately, Gordon-Levitt excels at pulling you in with witty charm, snap-fast story-telling, and genuine emotion. He explores addiction and that pesky human tendency to deny its existence to our own detriment.
Don’t worry, though. All this sounds like a basis for heavy drama, but Don Jon is told with so many quick cuts and satirical musical stereotypes that you can’t help but be entertained.
Continue reading Alphabet Cinema: “D” is for “Don Jon” →
