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Don Jon
| Released |
15 November 2013 |
| Director |
Joseph Gordon-Levitt |
Starring
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Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Tony Danza, Glenne Headly, Brie Larson, Rob Brown |
| Writer(s) |
Joseph Gordon- Levitt |
| Producer(s) |
Ram Bergman |
| Origin |
United States |
| Running Time |
90 minutes |
| Genre |
Comedy, drama, romance |
| Rating |
18 |
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Death of a ladies man.
New Jersey ladies-man Jon “Don Jon” Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) styles himself as a modern day lothario in the mould of Don Juan, and similarly the film Don Jon styles itself as an attempt to encapsulate an updated version of romance not previously captured on film.
When he finally finds the girl of his dreams Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) it drags him out of his status quo and forces him to confront the problems with his love life. His attachment to instant gratification has resulted in an addiction to internet pornography that even a relationship with his “perfect ten” girl can’t break.
Don Jon is trying really hard to talk about sex, romance and love in contemporary terms, but somehow manages to do the exact opposite and says absolutely nothing new. Joseph Gordon-Levitt directed this film himself, and while his strong performance in the lead role sets this apart as a bit more than a vanity project, he certainly has absolutely no flare for directing. The film plods along through a series of predictable story beats. When Barbara is revealed to be as deluded in her conception of relationships as Jon because she has based her aspirations on romantic Hollywood movies, Don Jon forgoes subtlety and beats its audience with the analogy stick.
As a film that purports to deal frankly with sex, Don Jon is an oddly sterile affair. There is nothing in here to get people worked up, although there definitely should be. There are plenty of issues that get touched off – the disaffection of the internet generation, the instant gratification of pornography – but nothing is ever really said.
But maybe this isn’t the point. Maybe it’s intended as more of a character study. Jon is certainly a rich blend of contradictions. He’s a family man who regularly attends church and goes to confession, regardless of the fact that he’s just spent his Saturday night picking up girls in a bar, taking them home for one night stands and then watching a porno video afterwards. Gordon-Levitt dives head on into the accent and mannerisms of his character in a way that will probably be shown to acting classes in the future, and Johansson is better still. But that still doesn’t excuse the fact that Don Jon doesn’t say anything.
Not that it isn’t an enjoyable film, but Don Jon still ends up being as disposable as the romantic comedies it attempts to lambaste.
- Bernard O’Rourke |
