Director: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Screenplay: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore
Runtime: 90 min
Rated: R
Many film actors have translated very successfully into the role of director. Recently, high-profile actors such as George Clooney and Ben Affleck have proven that their talents extend to this area as well. Don Jon marks the feature-length writing and directorial debut of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and it is far from a typical romantic comedy. While Gordon-Levitt may shock some viewers with this extremely explicit inaugural film, he also proves his capability and smarts as he presents what is ultimately a highly satirical piece of work.
Gordon-Levitt pulls triple duty, also starring in his film as Jon Martello Jr., a self-obsessed Jersey boy who cares for little more than his looks, his material possessions, and his ability to score attractive women. Although Jon may appear to be an open book, he has a dark secret: he is addicted to Internet pornography, watching videos several times daily in a planned manner akin to a science. It does not seem possible for Jon to ever escape from his self-centred universe, until he meets his dream girl in Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson). Barbara is sexy, sassy, and strongly adverse to porn. Although Jon believes himself to be in love, he must undergo a radical self-transformation if he ever hopes to form a meaningful relationship.
Don Jon is an extremely fast-moving movie, and its relentless pace, hectic filming style, and pounding musical score work together to reflect Jon’s lifestyle. The acting is top-notch, and becomes especially enjoyable as one realizes that the actors are actually a lot smarter than their characters, and are playing them as such. Although Jon is a vile individual, an audience can’t help but like Gordon-Levitt’s character in spite of themselves, even if they would rather watch him from afar. Jon presents a voice-over explaining his thoughts and actions throughout much of the film, offering a glimpse into a mind that fascinates even as it repels. Julianne Moore plays a quirky older student in a night class that Jon attends, and offers the film’s voice of reason, albeit in a non-traditional way. Johansson’s Barbara is a fun and feisty Jersey girl who loves idealistic movies, and the film wittily pokes fun at the clichés of romantic comedies without ascribing to them.
Indeed, this is a highly satirical film, often using over-the-top musical and lighting tropes to point out the flaws within these overdone and all-too-similar movies. For example, when Jon and Barbara first kiss in the movie theatre lobby, the scene mimics the cheesy kisses in the films Jon has just finished watching and mocking. Scenes depicting the “highly religious” Jon confessing his multitudes of sexual sins, receiving his penance, and then reciting his Hail Marys as he pumps iron at the gym are not only very funny, but sneakily question and critique the regulations of the Catholic church. The film also offers an amusing portrait of a modern Jersey family, as Jon’s mother begs him to settle down, while his father ogles his girlfriend while swigging beer and watching the game.
Overall, Don Jon is a much smarter movie than one may expect from an R-rated raunchfest about a porn addict. The film depicts the evolution of an individual, and does so in a way that avoids the romantic comedy tropes unless it is to ridicule them and point out their flaws. The exceedingly graphic content may shock, but it is the biting satire that truly surprises. It looks as though we may be seeing a lot more of Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the future, both in front of as well as behind the movie camera.
Photo Credits: Toronto International Film Festival
