Not Bad but has Certain Struggles

Rating: 5/10 (15 December 2014)

Though it's set in New Jersey rather than Brooklyn, Don Jon -- written and directed by Gordon-Levitt, tells a tale of an Italian-American student who harbors a spark of life that draws him toward the wider world. It's even more condescending to the small-minded characters around him, if that's possible. Don Jon is also fast and funny.
Jon's deliverance comes in the form of a messed-up pothead named Esther who sees through his insulation and tells him what he needs to hear.
The down-shift from cartoon romance to romantic drama would be jarring if Esther were played by a lesser actress than Julianne Moore, who makes the wisdom she's given to deliver sound like good hard sense from an older woman who's been through hell.
She's touching, Johansson is wonderfully awful and Gordon-Levitt is electric, making it easy to forgive the movie its streaking. The film wanders towards Johansson's character exits, as we see more screen time with Julianna Moore. Don Jon seeks a specific audience, but the overall tone of the film could have been far better than its content shows. Disappointment from critical reviews deceive.