Joseph Gordon-Levitt strikes again folks. His new film
Don Jon is a thoroughly entertaining romp, a bit on the raunchy/NSFW side, but enjoyable nonetheless. Some might find the film's crass subject matter tasteless (spoiler: it's about the interplay between relationships, sex and porn) but amidst a sea of mediocre films all trying to ape Judd Apatow comedies,
Don Jon's abrasiveness is like a breath of fresh air. A ballsy, R-rated film, meant for adults that doesn't dilute it's vision for mass appeal dollars. This alone is enough reason to champion this flick.
Anyways, Levitt stars as Don Jon, a smug
Jersey Shore type whose lady killer prowess is renowned far and wide. To say he simply "get's girls" would be an understatement. Through the power of montage, we learn that Jon slams different hot chicks (always between "8's and 10's") on a daily basis. But alas, Jon has a unnerving addiction to internet pornography that actually impedes his enjoyment of real sex. As the film goes on, you see just how fucked up Jon's situation is. He's not as depraved as
poor ol' Fassy in Shame, but in the same league for sure.
May 2012 Female Obsession inductee, Scarlett Johansson, plays his uptight, but drop dead gorgeous girlfriend, who doesn't take kindly to her new beau's addiction to smut. We watch as not only Jon's relationship begins to crumble, but his very outlook on life as well. Julianne Moore and Tony Danza, holy shit Tony Danza, deliver standout performances that help push
Don Jon from simply "entertaining", to the realm of "pretty damn good."
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| chick flicks = girl porn |
Ultimately, everything about
Don Jon goes back to Levitt. The man pulls a triple threat as the film's writer, director and main star. His acting is solid, like usual, and his direction, with his frequent use of jump cuts and montages seems a little
Goodfellas/Scorsesse-ish, but it's his writing talents that really shine throughout the film. The dialogue feels authentic, which undoubtedly helped the already talented cast deliver such great performances, and just the idea for the movie alone, taking the piss out of our fantastical views of sex and personal relationships, was brilliant. Kudos to JGL for crafting such a solid debut film, and the
Tony Danza/ Angels in the Outfield nostalgia trip.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to see it. It seemed cool. Maybe I will. I think I will.
ReplyDeleteIt's always good to see an r-rated movie that's not smut for the sake of smut. If you want to see that just watch a porn. The plot would probably be better.
ReplyDeleteJGL just can't seem to go wrong when it comes to films, I think I want to check it out now and see just how well he does from a writing standpoint.
ReplyDeleteI found it a decent film, but perhaps overly crude and a little unbelievable in the way the Levitt character finds self-awareness. The character at the beginning of the film is just too unlikable to become the touchy-feely fellow we see at the end. It requires a very exactly screenplay, and while Levit is extremely talented, he's not quite up for this yet. Not a movie I regret seeing, but not one I'd care to see again.
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