"Don Jon" tried to have fun with the serious problem of sex addiction, but does it very poorly.

Rating: 1/10 (6 October 2015)

In the same month (September 2013), American movie fans may have noticed the release of two movies about sex addiction. Although it's good to call attention to this very real problem, one of those two movies did it much better than the other. "Thanks for Sharing" takes the subject seriously and has a good story with appealing characters. And then there's "Don Jon" (R, 1:30).
This film is written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who also stars. Jon is a man who cannot get enough sex. He has issues and, as the kids say, he needs tissues for his issues (literally). He brings to bed an endless parade of beautiful women, but still looks at pornography - constantly - even when his latest conquest is sleeping in his bed. He doesn't see a problem with this. He further shows his character's contradictions both as he swears at other drivers while he's rushing to church and as he makes completely insincere confessions in said building.
Jon continues unapologetically on this path until he meets Barbara (Scarlett Johansson), who he's convinced is a "10", but who refuses to be his latest one night stand. Jon and Barbara are adorable together, but their constant sexual play and public displays of affection eventually make us feel like voyeurs and border on the disgusting - a word that describes many aspects of this movie. Barbara begins to change Jon's behavior and just might be the one to change his priorities. Or maybe it'll be Esther (Julianne Moore), Jon's college classmate. Or maybe Jon won't change at all.
As we wait to see whether Jon accepts that he has a problem and remedy his approach to life and love, we're subjected to Jon and his friends' gross disrespect of women, Jon's obnoxious and dysfunctional family (headed by a very loud, foul-mouthed Tony Danza) along with characters' actions and reactions that don't make sense and are just plain dumb. Helping the audience (especially sex addicts in the audience) see that pornography can never substitute for true intimacy (and can even inhibit it) is a worthy goal, but, in this case, the destination does not justify the journey.
So, to sum up, we have a dumb script, disgusting displays, dysfunction and disrespect. Hmm. That's a lot of Ds in my review of "Don Jon". I guess one more won't hurt. This movie's grade also starts with a "D".