Don Jon (2013) [Blu-ray]
Comedy | Drama | Romance

Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a handsome, good old-fashioned guy known as Don Jon for his ability to bed beautiful women at will. But ironically, even the finest fling doesn't compare to the bliss Jon finds alone-watching porn on his computer. Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) is a gorgeous, good old-fashioned girl raised on romantic movies, and she's determined to find her Prince Charming. Wrestling with expectations of the opposite sex, Jon and Barbara struggle against false fantasies to find true intimacy in this unexpected comedy written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Storyline: Jon Martello objectifies everything in his life: his apartment, his car, his family, his church, and, of course, women. His buddies even call him Don Jon because of his ability to pull "10s" every weekend without fail. Yet even the finest flings don't compare to the transcendent bliss he achieves alone in front of the computer watching pornography. Dissatisfied, he embarks on a journey to find a more gratifying sex life, but ends up learning larger lessons of life and love through relationships with two very different women. Written by SophiaLB

Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman on January 8, 2014 -- Joseph Gordon-Levitt had already been acting for several years when he really broke through into mainstream popularity as part of the ensemble on the wacky sitcom 3rd Rock From the Sun in 1996. Millions of audience members watched Gordon-Levitt mature from a gawky teenager to a, well, gawky young adult over the five years (more or less) of the series, but even during the run of the show Gordon-Levitt was padding his resumé with a varied assortment of film roles and television guest spots. The fates aren't always kind to child (and/or younger) actors as they age into adulthood, but Gordon-Levitt seems to have made the transition more gracefully than many, and the past decade or so has seen him undertake a number of really interesting assignments, which include everything from proto- indie fare like Latter Days and Hesher to blockbusters like Inception, The Dark Knight Rises and Lincoln. It's notable that Gordon-Levitt often takes supporting roles in these films, seemingly more invested in creating a memorable character than burnishing his burgeoning star status. That oft repeated Hollywood maxim that all actors really want to do is direct may now be applied to Gordon-Levitt as well, for after helming some really interesting shorts over the past few years, the still young performer has now offered up his first feature film as writer-director, the oddball romance Don Jon. Even some fans of Gordon-Levitt may not realize that he has a perhaps genetic component to his directorial acumen, for his maternal grandfather was Michael Gordon, a journeyman Hollywood director whose name may frankly never have matriculated into the general consciousness of the film going public, but who was nonetheless responsible for such notable outings as 1950's Cyrano de Bergerac (for which star José Ferrer won the Academy Award for Best Actor) and 1959's Pillow Talk, still considered one of the most ebullient romantic comedies ever made.

The apple may not fall from the tree, as yet another old adage goes, but in the case of Gordon-Levitt, Don Jon is a rather far cry from the "sexcapades" that were part and parcel of the typical Rock Hudson-Doris Day outing. The title character is one Jon Martello, Jr. (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a porn addicted young man who has a brief laundry list of items about which he cares, which include (in no particular order) his body, his "girls", his pad, and, of course, his porn. Jon is a man-child with his own peculiar moral center (he regularly goes to church with his parents, played wonderfully by Tony Danza and Glenne Headly), but he's also adrift in a way, as evidenced by his porn habit and the fact that he seems to prefer gratifying himself while watching online sex to the "real thing" (though he has no dearth of activity in that regard).

Don Jon is curiously one of two Blu-rays recently released that emphasize the hypersexualized world of advertising, online content and broadcast media and how that ends up affecting young males in particular (the other entry in this burgeoning subgenre is the fairly lackluster Thanks for Sharing). While Jon would probably fit in rather well, psychologically speaking, with the "sex addicts" who populate the other film, Gordon-Levitt actually gives Jon several monologues throughout Don Jon where he rationalizes his love for porn. Things begin to change—if only slightly—when Jon spies a rare "dime" at a nightclub (he rates every female he sees and refuses to bed any girl who's less than an 8). That turns out to be blonde bombshell Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson, like Gordon-Levitt affecting a pretty good Jersey accent).

Jon's ability to compartmentalize is momentarily thrown for a loop when Barbara belies her "dumb blonde" good looks and actually seems to not only have a brain, but also actual honest to goodness opinions about how Jon should live his life. Suddenly fantasy and reality are colliding in a way they never have before, and Jon doesn't quite know what to make of the situation. Gordon-Levitt plays this part of the film very smartly, showing that neither character in this dance is above reproach, and refusing to shirk from either person's foibles. Jon does begin to give in to Barbara's demands, but there's no mistaking the increasing disconnect Jon is beginning to feel with regard to his overly ordered day to day existence, something that is of course at odds with his porn addiction, something that Barbara finds out about and wants to put a stop to.

Barbara—despite her brash attitude—would seem to be everything Jon has ever lusted after, and yet he still feels an emptiness inside that perhaps not even his continuing porn issue can assuage. The film takes a rather refreshing late turn when Jon meets Esther (Julianne Moore), an older woman who seems to accept Jon for the dysfunctional hybrid that he is. Here, finally, Jon has a chance to simply be himself, warts and all, and suddenly Barbara's machinations seem all the less tolerable. It's to Gordon-Levitt's credit that Don Jon doesn't opt for a typical happy ending, and in fact the film skewers the typical romantic comedy setup in a quick montage that features Anne Hathaway and Channing Tatum as that "perfect couple" who seem to inhabit virtually every film in this genre.

Gordon-Levitt is perhaps a bit too married to a traditional three act structure, and the denouement has a too pat feeling about it, but overall this is an assured, nicely nuanced first feature from this budding auteur. The film is graced by some fantastic performances. The wiry Gordon-Levitt would probably be no one's first choice to play a so-called Guido, and yet he carries the film easily here, affecting the hulking machismo that guys of this type tend to ooze. Johansson is remarkable in her own way, creating a character who may not be entirely sympathetic but who's eminently believable. Moore, in what is essentially a kind of throwaway role (albeit an important one), is graceful and confident as the "older" woman who finally helps Jon understand that reality can in fact exceed the lure of the internet.

Don Jon isn't a perfect film, but it's a damned enjoyable one. Highlighted by some smart writing and nicely vigorous performances, the film marks a major debut by Gordon-Levitt in his new guise as a so-called multi-hyphenate. The film ends up being just a bit too pat for its own good, but there's a refreshing honesty and heart in this very appealing film. The video and audio are top notch, and even without a glut of supplements, Don Jon comes Highly recommended.

[CSW] -2.7- This movie is primarily geared at people who don't already know the answer to the questions that it raises. For the rest of us it turns out to be a pretty good reiteration of lessons already learned. It is almost a coming-of-age story for someone who has already come-of-age. It is much better suited for and will be more interesting to the twenty-something crowd that gains new insights that they didn't see coming. For the rest of us it is an all right but not outstanding film. Since it deals with watching porn and masturbating be prepared for strong graphic sexual material, constant foul language, and nudity - something the twenty-something crowd should enjoy.
[V4.5-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box.


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