HK Auteur Review - Don Jon

Rating: 8/10 (9 October 2013)

Don Jon marks as the debut film of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is the writer, director and star of the film. What's most praiseworthy about JGL's direction is how he puts the audience into the world view of his lead character Don Jon. It makes a good cinematic explanation of how Don Jon prefers pornography over bedding real women, a character trait that can easily be viewed as unlikeable or disgusting if mishandled. We never really venture outside his world, but yet Don Jon's views seem logical enough to keep the audience invested in what happens to him.
Directing duties aside, Joseph Gordon-Levitt's ability to transform himself amazes me. Having seen him in Inception, (500) Days of Summer and The Dark Knight Rises have familiarized me with the sound of his real voice, but I was still astounded by Don Jon's macho New Jersey-accented voice. I was carefully listening to Don Jon's dialogue and couldn't detect any hints of Gordon-Levitt's real voice underneath. It is artfully consistent and was the core element that sold me on the Don Jon character.
Scarlett Johansson has been said to be a wooden actress in the past. I think this was probably one of her better performances. This character felt like a real person to me. I have met and dated girls like Barbara. Furthermore, the allure of Scarlett Johansson is cinematically ramped up to eleven. She hasn't been filmed to this level of sexiness since Match Point. For fans of the Black Widow, I'd even argue that this tops that. This is probably more to the credit of the direction. We feel Don Jon's hunger for her. And like Don Jon, she too mesmerized me. And not just cause of her looks. She seemed like the ideal girlfriend at first and couldn't really see her character flaws till late in the film. When I realized her character flaws, I was surprised I didn't see them before. That was a very compelling moment for me in the theater. Honestly, Johansson's character distracted me so much, I would need a second viewing to tell you anything about the Julianne Moore character.
Seeing Tony Danza as Don Jon's father Jon Sr. takes me back to my childhood. He was the only man on TV who can make my dad cackle like a fiend in the English language. Danza's presence adds warmth and makes for a convincing father. Brie Larson gets to do a Silent Bob type gag that is quite amusing.
The film's brutally truthful display about the realities of men and women as a source for comedy, while handled tastefully with charm by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, hits a little too close to home. I have had discussions like this with a girlfriend similar to the Scarlett Johansson character. It accurately captures why it's hard for men to explain the joys of pornography to the opposite sex. As Louis C.K. once put it, men just need to release so they don't go out and murder somebody. That's really it, but it's not a pleasing satisfying statement to convince a girlfriend with. I'd argue that any girl that needs an explanation wouldn't be convinced anyways because they probably have double standards. The film seems to take the same stance. All that said, the film managed to end on a poignant tender note.
In the end, Don Jon is somewhat of an odd animal. I wouldn't personally recommend it as a date movie with your girlfriend, for the very fact that it might just open the awkward discussion of "How much pornography do you watch?" with your girlfriend. I still think people should see it as it is a competent debut film.
So on a more politically neutral note, I'd say guys would have more fun with it watching it with their guy friends and likewise with girls and their girlfriends. It's probably better to be charmed by it separately than leaving the theater together primed for an awkward argument.
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