Don Jon Reviews

Directorial projects from people otherwise renown for their acting are usually a 50/50 affair. On the one side you have those best forgotten vanity projects and on the other you have the rare instance of absolute brilliance. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut, "Don Jon", falls squarely into the latter category.

The titular Jon (played by Levitt) is a veritable Casanova stuck in a comfortable rut of habitual behavior; from his home life, to his every relationship, and, yes, to his intimate life. However, all semblance of peace and security is thrown awry when a woman that defies his expectations enters the scene. Jon begins a tumultuous battle with himself even as he begins to experience a dramatic self-actualization that takes him from self-obsessed pretty boy to selfless man.

On the surface "Don Jon" is about the destructive power of porn addiction and its debilitating effects on the proper development of your average male. For all its relative comfort, Jon's life is robbed of meaning by his dependence on pornography and its unreachable standards However, the film proves to have a deeper and more meaningful grasp on the subject than it would let up. From his father's toxic masculinity, to his sister's inability to live outside her phone, to his girlfriend's controlling nature, virtually no one in Jon's world is without some form of addictive or destructive behavior.

All this is amusingly presented in a twisted facsimile of a modern rom-com (which, of course, have their own ridiculous standards). Indeed, objectification and its dehumanizing effects are thoroughly lambasted and in a way that we might find hits uncomfortably (although hilariously) close to home. We, as viewers, are not spared but make no mistake, this isn't a preachy affair. No, in fact, Jon's journey is a hopeful one.

And there truly lies the ingenuity of this movie. It would have been easy to make a cynical piece about this subject but Levitt opts to make an uplifting one with a profound message about the importance of selflessness both in normal life and in an intimate one. "Don Jon" is that revelation we all know is right around the corner but we fear because we know it means being taken out of our comfort zone. It's a red pill in cinematic form. An essential film not only for the modern male but for the modern person.

Honestly, I'm floored at how exceptionally well made "Don Jon" is. From it's clever, subversive writing, to its self-aware editing, to its fantastic cast (something of a surprise of its own), and its sudden unexpected heart. Then again, why should I be? Levitt has been subverting expectations for a good long while now. This movie is a treasure. 10/10

I have an issue with writers and directors starring in their own movie where they have sex with a bounty of beautiful women, including Scarlett Johansson. It's very egoist and obnoxious enough to take me out of the story.

Luckily for Levitt, Tony Danza, Glenne Headly, Brie Larson, and Rob Brown proved to be a fun supporting cast. Notice I didn't mention the repulsive Julianne Moore. She was the worst part of this film.

"Ci sono poche cose nella vita che mi interessano veramente, il mio corpo, la mia tana, il mio bolide, la mia famiglia, la mia chiesa, i miei amici, le mie amiche ed il mio porno."
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This wasn't your typical falling in love story. No this one is in my opinion realistic in how relationships are going these days. It has Tony Danza (who returns to film after 9 years), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who just so happens to direct this as well), Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Brie Larson, and Rob Brown. It also has some cool little cameos including Channing Tatum, Meagan Good, Anne Hathaway, and Cuba Gooding Jr. This isn't really the kind of movie that you sit and watch with anyone because of well the extremely sexual theme and lots of porn scenes from actual porn videos (although they are edited to look softcore for it to be more "appropriate"). The acting in this is pretty great and I love the twists that it takes on falling in love and what love can actually mean. The plot is truly genuine and it is jam packed with excellent cinematography. This was way better than I had imagined it would be when I saw the first trailer. It is definitely highly recommended if you want to watch something new and isn't the typical love story. In fact I'd say this is a romance for dudes by a dude haha.

This may not be the kind of movie you watch in cinema with your friends, but it definitely is a great movie: both character development and story are well done, and the tale told couldn't be more relevant in today's times. Considering how today's youth grows up with pornography, this film tells us (in a at least seemingly very authentic way) about very relevant aspects of the development how relationships may turn out these days, both in terms of how gender roles are recognized as well as attachment styles (in relationships.)

I was thinking the first century of the third millennium where the meaning of cinemas is rewrote. There's been lots of chances we can see and one of those were the beginning of adult-comedies. Recently 'Ted' made lots of waves among movie goers. So here comes the another one from the actor of '50/50' who also debuted as director. Making first is always challenging one, not many had tasted success but he handled very nicely his crew as well the co stars. It was a nice script based on today's world and the path the youngsters moving.

The story centers around a character Jon who lives by his own principles. He does everything like every other guy like watching porn and masturbating. One day he meets his girl and begin to give his full commitment to it. Sometime he has to break his rules to obtain from opposite, so the remaining portions explais how far he would go and sacrifice his life for a girl.

Definitely it tells the unexpected truth to the older guys who are troubling to understand present technology that affecting people in a strange way. I was talking about online porns and this movie deals about the same theme. The trouble maker in a serious relationship, we can call it a new way of cheating. I believe this movie is not for everyone, if you are okay with adult theme as a comedy then it will be fine. I can call it a rare movie about online porn video addiction.

don jon is an ok movie with an interesting concept but it doesn't really go anywhere, the concept itself would never be oscar worthy or even praise worthy, reminds me of a storyline from "american pie". the new jersey accent i couldn't stand especially coming from a well known "OK" actress Scarlett Johansson. i got bored quarter of the way in, it tried to convey emotion by failed

4/10

It's been a while since the audiences were treated to an edgier side of Romance, and 2013's Don Jon written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt is finally a film that explores new territory even if it still follows the same traditional formula of other romance films.

Jon “Don Jon” Martello likes a few things in life, his ride, his pad, his girls, his family and his porn. That all changes when he lays eyes on Barbara Sugarman and his pursuit of her is more then just a one night stand. As Jon and Barbara's relationship begins to grow, they begin to wonder if the media and films have painted an unrealistic stereotype for relationships.

JGL was the perfect choice for the starring role as well as writer/director on this film. He carries the film, his accent a bit over the top at times and the repetitive nature of the film showing how people get caught up in a routine was flawless. Everyone is out searching for their one true love, and for Jon he thinks he finds that in Barbara. JGL's smooth and confident performance is one of the reasons this film works so well. The other is the impeccable casting job done to fill the film with minor characters to help complete the story for Jon. Scarlett Johansson is perfect as Barbara, giving off an aura of conceited beauty. This character knows she has got it going on and Scarlett portrays that in one of the finer performances of her career thus far. Her accent is near perfect as well, perhaps even better then JGL's at times and her character is very superficial, only looking for a man that will do things for her not someone she can love and care for.

The film really comes a live with the introduction of Julianne Moore in the second act. A real treat, she adds a layer of complexity to a film that was before hand all about sex and pornography. She adds in the human aspect of learning to grow as a person. She provides an escape for Jon, having recently been through a traumatic experience of her own, she is honest and open with Jon about his expectations and how they don't add up in reality. She brings out another layer in JGL's performance that brings the character full circle in a sense. His eyes become open to what making love is, instead of just having sex to claim you scored the hot chick. Moore's role in this film is not only the catalyst that changes the way Jon handles his every day life, but she also adds the emotional stability. Most of the events before her entry were purposely superficial, because Jon and Barbara really didn't know much about each other and really didn't have the same outlook on life.

Even though it follows the same formula as other romantic comedies the R-Rating sure does help Don Jon become a much more fun film. Having no restrictions on the amount of realistic profanity dropped in the course of 90 minutes and the explicit sexual scenes shown, it really is a film about expectations and realities and how men sometimes get caught up in their own world of sex and forget to try for a real relationship. It's often a parody of the Jersey Shore lifestyle, which allows for Don Jon to go a bit over board during the party scenes. It never really feels forced and adds a good balance of social commentary.

It's a film about male sexuality, male aggression and the almost impossible realities men put on finding the right woman. It's a film that should be watched by men coming into their own. As you watch Jon and his two best friends played by Rob Brown and Jeremy Luke, you can't help but feel the authenticity of the film. The three men razz one another about their preferred choice in women and it feels real and honest.

Don Jon surprised me with how much of the 90 minute run time was refreshing and exciting. To cover so much in a limited time frame is incredible. Don Jon was one of the years most thought-filled and original films, that plays the stereotypes of gender roles perfectly but tells the story from the opposite view point then many films of this nature.

After I saw the trailer for this movie, I really wanted to see this flick. Indeed, I thought it was hilarious, one of the best trailers I had seen for a very long time. So, I did watch the damned thing and, to be honest, it was not as hilarious as the trailer. You know, with the trailers, it’s always the same, they show you the best bits and while the jokes worked there, there were not that funny when you watch the real thing. Still, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good flick, definitely not. Indeed, even though you can easily feel that it was Gordon-Levitt directing debut, it was still a really solid comedy. Or was it really a comedy actually? That’s the first interesting aspect with this movie, even though it is funny, I can’t say it was actually really a comedy. The second thing I enjoyed is how well written and developed all those characters were. Indeed, especially, Jon , the main character, was quite fascinating with, once again, a really solid performance by Gordon-Levitt. Furthermore, in contrary to 95% of the romantic-comedies, the whole thing was actually grounded in reality and it was just really damned refreshing. Like I mentioned before, you can feel that it was his directing debut and some things didn’t really work like constantly showing the daily routine of the main character. Eventually, it was only repetitive and neither really interesting or entertaining. Still, in spite of it flaws, I really enjoyed this flick, it is a solid directing debut for Joseph Gordon-Levitt and it is definitely worth a look.