Brilliantly acted and written!

Rating: 7/10 (19 December 2013)

Don Jon surprised me, certainly. I'm a fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but I doubted his directing abilities. He knows how to carry a film as an actor, for sure, but it was really down to whether he could pace this film well, and make this almost bizarre concept work. I can say for certainty, he almost nails it on the chest!
Don Jon(JGL) is a man who develops unrealistic expectations for both relationships and sex, having watched an abundance of porn for most of his life. When he meets "the one", Barbara Sugarman(Scarlett Johansson), he is surprised to find that both have expectations that surely can't be met, and they embark on a relationship which opens his eyes to what being with someone really means.
Don Jon is superbly acted. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as expected, is wonderful. He brings personality and energy to his character, and makes him into a relatable, likable guy. Johansson is fantastic as well. Her New Jersey accent is perfect, and she knows how to really grind an audience's gears. The rest of the ensemble is fantastic. Julianne Moore and Tony Danza both give wonderful performances in their roles, which adds to the film.
I have a problem with JGL's directing abilities, unfortunately. He knows how to make a shot work, get his actors to perform, and set a scene up well, but I think he tries to make everything look a little too stylistic. It's like he had the perfect picture, with all the right colours, but he just added a little too much, to make it feel somewhat cluttered. His direction is certainly not bad, it's just a little misled.
The writing here is quite brilliant. Every character has a purpose, a certain personality to them. Most of the characters feel real, with the exception of Scarlett Johansson's character. I felt she was almost comical, a little too over the top. Apart from her character, the writing really succeeds here. You support Don Jon in his endeavors, you understand his motivations for the things he does. All in all, it's a great screenplay JGL has developed, and for the most part, it translates to the big screen damn well!
Don Jon is certainly energetic, fun and full of heart. In my opinion, it's partially a social commentary, showing the expectations that both men and women both have nowadays, which only adds to my love of the film. It certainly has it's faults, but for a first time director like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, it can only get better! I can't wait for his next project, because I'm sure this experience has given him a lot of pointers for next time. This is an easy watch, and one I'd certainly recommend.
7/10