Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been a rising star over the past few years, notching great performances in several successful films including many of my personal favorites. Now he has made his first foray into feature-length writing and directing with “Don Jon.”
The plot revolves around the title character Don Jon (Gordon-Levitt), who earned the nickname due to his ability to get any girl he wants at the clubs he frequents. Jon is a proud man—proud of his body, his car, his family and his apartment. He is also addicted to porn. In fact, the best parts of his days are spent in front of his computer watching porn. Even though he can get a real woman without any problem, to him, no girl compares to porn. Jon’s routine gets thrown out of balance when he starts up two relationships—one with the beautiful Barbara (Scarlett Johansson) and one with Esther (Julianne Moore), an older and wiser woman. Both of these women cause him to question his perceptions of women and how his porn addiction affects him.
Gordon-Levitt portrays all the sleazy aspects of a “guido”—characteristics that would normally repulse any audience member. He also brings heart and charisma to his character. Despite Jon’s warped views and the fact that he is a terrible guy, Gordon-Levitt still makes him likeable. Johansson turns in an equally thoughtful performance as Barbara, who knows just how to make Jon work to keep her fancy. In addition, Moore creates a courageous performance as Esther, an older classmate of Jon’s who helps him see the problem is not with women, but with him. Another noteworthy performance comes from Tony Danza, who is a true delight as Jon’s father and steals several scenes with his comedic sensibilities.
During his rise to fame in the past few years, Gordon-Levitt has worked with multiple legendary directors such as Christopher Nolan, Rian Johnson and Steven Spielberg. It’s obvious he took notes from the great movie creators. He shows strong promise as a writer-director, displaying confidence in shot composition, and in his ability to formulate heartfelt characters. The film draws interesting comparisons between Jon’s unrealistic expectations, because of porn, and Barbara’s equally warped perceptions of men, due to romantic Hollywood films.
Gordon-Levitt has created an equally comedic and thought-provking look at media and how it warps human perceptions of life and romance. It’s a valiant effort for the actor turned writer-director, and I certainly am excited for what he makes next.