MOVIE OF THE WEEK #2 (9/27/13): DON JON
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Tony Danza, Gleene Headly, Jeremy Luke, Rob Brown and Brie Larson
WRITER(S): Joseph Gordon-Levitt
DIRECTOR(S): Joseph Gordon-Levitt
WEB SITE: http://donjonmovie.tumblr.com/
60 SECOND PLOT SYNOPSIS: Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt in his first role as writer-director) likes very specific things in his life: He loves his boys (Jeremy Luke and Rob Brown), his family (Tony Danza, Gleene Headley and his ever-texting sister played by Brie Larson), going to church (and moreso confession) his job as a bartender, working out and having sex with a lot of different women he meets ... But none of those things take up as much of his free time as one thing and one thing in particular: Porn. Lots and lots and lots of porn.
You see, Jon – a.k.a. "The Don" given the amount of perfect 10s ("dimes," if you will) he picks up at the club – has no trouble getting women, let alone hot women, to have sex with him. What he does have a problem with – as he articulates quite bluntly and well throughout the film – is that he can't get "lost" in a real woman as much as he can in porn. He loves the fantasy of sex-crazed women who will do any and every thing a man could want in the bedroom ... Or kitchen ... Or driveway or wherever, all of which is accessible to him with the click of a mousepad on his laptop.
But what then will happen when he meets Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson), the ultimate dime ... Who has a problem with something Don REALLY enjoys a lot? You'll have to watch the movie – if you can tear yourself away from your computer long enough – to find out.
You see, Jon – a.k.a. "The Don" given the amount of perfect 10s ("dimes," if you will) he picks up at the club – has no trouble getting women, let alone hot women, to have sex with him. What he does have a problem with – as he articulates quite bluntly and well throughout the film – is that he can't get "lost" in a real woman as much as he can in porn. He loves the fantasy of sex-crazed women who will do any and every thing a man could want in the bedroom ... Or kitchen ... Or driveway or wherever, all of which is accessible to him with the click of a mousepad on his laptop.
But what then will happen when he meets Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson), the ultimate dime ... Who has a problem with something Don REALLY enjoys a lot? You'll have to watch the movie – if you can tear yourself away from your computer long enough – to find out.
WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST?: Gordon-Levitt fans looking for a role from him with more of an edge; Julianne Moore fans; guys who want to have honest conversations with their girlfriends/wives about their relationship; women looking for more insight into the average modern male; Scarlett Johansson fans; men (and women) who can relate to the characters because it feels relevant to their own lives
WHO WON'T LIKE THIS FILM?: Women who don't want to believe their man could be like any of the male characters in the film, especially Gordon-Levitt's; anti-pornography champions; devoutly Catholic people (possibly); fans of Tony Danza who don't want to see him dropping the f-bomb with regularity; (possibly) Italian-American rights groups like the ones who protested The Sopranos and anyone who wants to live like they are a cast member on Jersey Shore
BOTTOM LINE – IS IT GOOD, GREAT, BAD OR DOWNRIGHT AWFUL? Good – but fellas, be forewarned: This is a movie that WILL spark a conversation with your lady on the ride home.
WHAT'S GOOD (OR BAD) ABOUT IT?: A film that is one of the most honest looks into the modern young male psyche to come along in some time, Don Jon is an interesting film because of the simplicity of the subjects it examines: The male desire for sexual activity, the proliferation of pornography, the psyche and need for/expectations of/ability to enjoy sexual contact with women and its affect on men today as a result.
Gordon-Levitt does a masterful job of presenting Jon's rationalizations of his pornography usage as a matter-of-fact, this-is-why-I-do-this-and-why rationale. This allows him to take the audience member on a journey as a man who is forced to rethink his entire approach to sex but do so in a way that they understand (if not empathize/agree) with him once he does. He's able to do this, of course, by using his natural charm to keep his character from crossing over into complete parody mode without losing any humor or making the film's dramatic moments feel forced. Drawing upon his dearth of experience in front of the camera, Gordon-Levitt delivers a solid outing behind the scenes as writer-director to make the film entertaining without falling victim to making the film all about him to the point it feels like a passion project gone awry.
One thing Don Jon does both overtly and in a subtle fashion is reveal just how easy it is and why so many guys [1] fall in love (pardon the idea) with pornography [2] how it can affect their real lives [3] justify the behavior to the point their is no guilty with it and how the guilt that is experience can be rationalized and [4] how sex in any and all forms assaults the male mind 24 hours a day. Gordon-Levitt uses all of his talents exceptionally well to discuss what for many is such a touchy subject (pun alert – sorry!). Likewise, Gordon-Levitt gets in a few strong digs at the idea of the traditional love story in Hollywood and how it affects the real world, which may seem ironic considering his own history with the genre (unless you've seen 500 Days of Summer – and if you haven't, what's wrong with you?!).
Likewise, Johansson plays her part to perfection as the catalyst for Jon's journey with humor and confidence without ever coming off as annoying or a caricature. Johansson's role as the young, hot girl with her specific agenda in the prime of her life plays as well as one might think against Julianne Moore's role as Jon's older, wiser yet also troubled night classmate Esther. The supporting characters add a great deal to the film as well as Danza is totally convincing as a stereotypical Italian father, playing well against Gleene Headly's mother with so much – potentially too much – love to give who believes whole heartedly in the traditional love story.
All things aside, however, what Don Jon does well is showcase the very thing why some people may have a problem with it: It shows how adult entertainment can become totally normal in a man's world and why he may have trouble getting away from it ... While making it an entertaining journey in the process.
Gordon-Levitt does a masterful job of presenting Jon's rationalizations of his pornography usage as a matter-of-fact, this-is-why-I-do-this-and-why rationale. This allows him to take the audience member on a journey as a man who is forced to rethink his entire approach to sex but do so in a way that they understand (if not empathize/agree) with him once he does. He's able to do this, of course, by using his natural charm to keep his character from crossing over into complete parody mode without losing any humor or making the film's dramatic moments feel forced. Drawing upon his dearth of experience in front of the camera, Gordon-Levitt delivers a solid outing behind the scenes as writer-director to make the film entertaining without falling victim to making the film all about him to the point it feels like a passion project gone awry.
One thing Don Jon does both overtly and in a subtle fashion is reveal just how easy it is and why so many guys [1] fall in love (pardon the idea) with pornography [2] how it can affect their real lives [3] justify the behavior to the point their is no guilty with it and how the guilt that is experience can be rationalized and [4] how sex in any and all forms assaults the male mind 24 hours a day. Gordon-Levitt uses all of his talents exceptionally well to discuss what for many is such a touchy subject (pun alert – sorry!). Likewise, Gordon-Levitt gets in a few strong digs at the idea of the traditional love story in Hollywood and how it affects the real world, which may seem ironic considering his own history with the genre (unless you've seen 500 Days of Summer – and if you haven't, what's wrong with you?!).
Likewise, Johansson plays her part to perfection as the catalyst for Jon's journey with humor and confidence without ever coming off as annoying or a caricature. Johansson's role as the young, hot girl with her specific agenda in the prime of her life plays as well as one might think against Julianne Moore's role as Jon's older, wiser yet also troubled night classmate Esther. The supporting characters add a great deal to the film as well as Danza is totally convincing as a stereotypical Italian father, playing well against Gleene Headly's mother with so much – potentially too much – love to give who believes whole heartedly in the traditional love story.
All things aside, however, what Don Jon does well is showcase the very thing why some people may have a problem with it: It shows how adult entertainment can become totally normal in a man's world and why he may have trouble getting away from it ... While making it an entertaining journey in the process.
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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