Rated
R (Strong Graphic Sexual Material and Dialogue Throughout, Nudity, Language and
Some Drug Use)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 30 Minutes
Cast-
Joseph
Gordon-Levitt-Jon 'Don Jon' Martello, Jr.
Scarlett
Johansson-Barbara Sugarman
Julianne
Moore-Esther
Tony
Danza-Jon Martello, Sr.
Glenne
Headly-Angela Martello
Brie
Larson-Monica Martello
Rob
Brown-Bobby
Jeremy
Luke-Danny
Italia
Ricci-Gina
Lindsey
Broad-Lauren
Amanda
Perez-Lisa
Sloane
Avery-Patricia
Paul
Ben-Victor-Priest
Directed
by Joseph Gordon-Levitt
 |
| Now there's a woman that I will never, ever be able to date. |
Note: Screened on Thursday, August 29, 2013 at AMC Empire 25.
Hey,
I'm going to tell you all a little secret: I…watch…PORN! Of course, this shouldn't
come as a total surprise considering the fact that I am a guy but what's curious is that most men (as well as some
women) would prefer to lie and say they don't watch any porn rather than admit to
it when confronted. There's always been a stigma attached to people who view pornography
and it's not uncommon for some to feel ashamed or guilty about it. Perennial
womanizer Jon Martello, however, has the exact opposite reaction. He's proud of
the fact that he spends all his free-time glued to his laptop at home while browsing
PornHub for that one special clip. Hell, the man has even ritualized his porn-viewing
habits and doesn't lift a finger to his penis until he finds the 'right' video
to masturbate to. Played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the character of Jon Martello
marks a departure from the more dramatic roles that audiences are used to seeing
him in. A former child/television actor who successfully transitioned to the big
screen and is now one of Hollywood's most popular leading men, Levitt is taking
his career to the next level with the raunchy romantic comedy "Don Jon,"
a film that he not only stars in but also wrote and directed. Wearing so many hats
on your first film project is no doubt a risky endeavor yet Levitt proves
himself up to the task despite his novice status behind the camera. Although
its subject matter may not be for everyone, "Don Jon" manages to impress
with its funny, sincere, and insightful look into the way men and women perceive
love and relationships in today's media-saturated culture of objectification.
New
Jersey native Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a modern-day 'Don Juan'
who impresses his friends every weekend with his ability to pick up gorgeous
women, or '10s,' without fail. However, the sex, while fun in its own way, is
never as satisfying compared to the awe-inspiring euphoria he feels while masturbating
to porn. Jon's life is turned upside down when he meets blonde bombshell Barbara
Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson), a '10' who's looking for her 'Prince Charming'
instead of a throwaway one-night stand. The buff guido immediately falls hard
for her and challenges himself to behave like a gentleman in the hopes that
it'll pay off in the end with some great sex. Unfortunately, entering into a
committed relationship leads to his masturbation schedule getting screwed up,
forcing Jon to get his porn fix during his night class at the local community college.
While there, he meets Esther (Julianne Moore), a middle-aged woman struggling with
her own emotional issues. Jon's experiences with Barbara and Esther forces him
to confront his addiction to porn and come to terms with his own sexual unhappiness.
Look,
let's not kid ourselves here—we've all viewed porn at one point or another (some
more than others) and although "Don Jon" does take the stance that
it's detrimental to your relationships, the film wisely avoids becoming a preachy
morality lecture. The script's attitude towards pornography is that it isn't so
bad when indulged once in a while but when we meet buff Italian American Jon Martello,
he's not watching 'once in a while.' Heck, the guy masturbates almost seventeen
to thirty times a week! As he explains via voiceover during the film's humorous
opening, Jon adheres to a very strict regimen when it comes to his masturbation
habits. To get himself 'in the mood,' he first looks at some pictures of naked women
and only once he's sufficiently aroused, both mentally and physically, does he log
onto PornHub. Of course, a random clip isn't good enough for him; he has to find
the 'right' one before even touching his penis. When that happens, Jon literally
goes into a state of nirvana and 'loses himself.' After he climaxes, he tosses
his semen-stained tissue in the trashcan and repeats. To Jon, there's nothing better
than beating his meat while watching a big-breasted woman get the living daylights
banged out of her.
Levitt
quickly establishes a sharp and witty tongue-in-cheek tone and although
"Don Jon" is billed as a romantic comedy, it's also a drama that tackles
some very serious themes regarding the way men and women relate to one another
in today's world where the media objectifies everything. Jon is able to get a beautiful
girl to sleep with him with simply one look (there's also some dance-floor grinding
involved) so why even bother with porn? He views the acts depicted in porn as
the way people should have sex but repeatedly
comes away disappointed when all the women just want to get f*cked in the
missionary position and 'look into his eyes' as he does it. There's a certain
irony to this because in almost every love scene in a mainstream Hollywood
film, that's the way the characters on-screen have sex. "Don Jon"
isn't criticizing porn, its criticizing media as a whole for skewing the minds
of men and women and their expectations of love and sex. For Levitt, an
innocent romantic comedy is just as bad as porn; it sells a fantasy of what romance
should be in the same way porn sells a
fantasy of what sex should be.
As
mentioned earlier, Jon's world is turned upside down when he encounters Barbara
Sugarman at the nightclub he frequents. To him, she's the perfect '10,' a 'dime
piece,' and so, he wants to nail her. Except she's not that type of gal. Barbara
wants to be wooed and swept off her feet by her 'Prince Charming,' which forces
Jon to play the 'long game.' He takes her to the movies, ingratiates himself
with her friends, and even starts attending night school at her suggestion! Unfortunately,
it all comes crashing down when she catches him rubbing one out one night in
front of his laptop. Now, Barbara asking Jon to give up porn isn't an unusual
request but then you take into account that he's a huge egomaniac who objectifies
everything he lays eyes on. This begs the question: his extreme narcissism and
materialism isn't a problem but porn is? Levitt also places subtle cues that Barbara
is trying to change or 'fix' him, which wouldn't be so bad yet it's just as manipulative
as what he's doing. Jon is only behaving like a gentleman and doing everything
she says in order to get in her pants and at the same time, Barbara is using
the promise of sex to get him to do
whatever she wants. It's a situation where like attracts like. The appearance
of Esther is when Jon starts to re-evaluate his life and its here that
"Don Jon" stumbles a little by being a bit too on the nose with
the overall message. Thankfully, it's only a minor issue and Levitt restrains
himself enough to let the main theme come about organically rather than bluntly
shoving it down our throats.
This
is Joseph Gordon-Levitt as you've never seen him before: an overcompensating, buffed-up
guido with way too much product in his hair. It's easy for a ridiculous character
like Jon Martello to slip into a parody of 'The Situation' from "Jersey
Shore" but Levitt manages to lend him enough depth and charm to make him
relatable. In addition, the actor cleverly weaves a personality that's full of
contradictions. This is someone who has sex with a different woman every weekend
and masturbates almost every hour of every day yet Jon is also a devout Catholic
who attends church with his family. These traits might seem contrary to the character
but it's the way he uses his religion to justify his bad habits, believing that
confession and the number of Hail Mary's
he says will absolve him of his vices. Scarlett Johansson is absolutely beautiful
here (as always) and it's clear that she's having a lot of fun portraying a gum-smacking
New Jersey woman who isn't afraid of using her looks to ensnare sex-obsessed
men like Jon. Julianne Moore is great as well with her warm and sympathetic performance
as the refreshingly non-judgmental Esther. Rounding out the cast is Glenne Headly,
Brie Larson, and a hilarious, scene-stealing Tony Danza as Jon Sr., who screams
and shouts at his family and the television in his wife-beater while the veins are
literally bulging out of his neck. I have to say, Danza's reaction to Barbara's
beauty was priceless!
Premiering
at the Sundance Film Festival back in January, "Don Jon" is set to be
released on September 27, 2013. Reviews have so far been positive with a solid 80%
on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the true test will be at the box office as the biggest
barrier for mainstream audiences will be the premise. I feel like couples who go
see this film will end up getting the wrong impression and mistakenly believe
that it's singling out porn as the
problem in all relationships. I sure hope this isn't the case and that people
who do go see it will be inspired to
really think about how the media influences the way men and women relate to one
another from a romantic perspective. First-timers always suck (and that goes
for anything, not just sex) but Joseph Gordon-Levitt handles his new screenwriting
and directorial duties like an old pro. Humorous and poignant, "Don
Jon" isn't a genre-bending revelation yet it's a film that's crafted with
obvious passion and backed up by three great performances. If you're turned off
by Hollywood's constant regurgitation of the same romance clichés, this is the
film for you. By the way, Levitt makes sure that you will never hear the Mac
startup chime the same way ever again.
Final
Rating: 4 out of 5
"There's
only a few things I really care about in life: my body, my pad, my ride, my
family, my church, my boys, my girls, and my PORN."
Posts
