Review: Don Jon

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Nothing beats a good ol' porno.
 
Don't watch this movie if sex makes you uncomfortable. I'm assuming that's how this little old couple felt that rushed out of the theater I was in about 5 minutes into this movie.
 
Jon (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is your stereotypical New Jersey meat head who has it all. He's good with the ladies, he loves his family and friends, he regularly attends church, and he's also addicted to pornography. He says it many times, real sex is great, but nothing beats porn. When he meets the perfect woman, Barbara, (Scarlett Johansson) he doesn't tell her about porn. And in some ways, Barbara is also living in a little fantasy world. One that's just like the romantic comedies we see, where the man drops everything to be with the girl of his dreams.
 
Don Jon definitely stretched it's R rating to the limits. Repetition is a big thing in this movie, there's plenty of shots intertwined with scenes from porn and multiple scenes of Jon's routines. (and his hilarious confessions at church) But Don Jon is more than just T&A. It brings up good points about a lot of double standards there are out there. JGL, in his directorial debut pokes fun a lot of these standards. Not to mention he and Scarlett Johansson nail those thick Jersey accents. Tony Danza, Julianne Moore, Brie Larson, and Glenne Headly also offer great performances for their supporting characters. Brie only has one line, but it's one of the most important in the entire film.
 
I can see where a lot of those clips in Don Jon could make people uncomfortable, but I urge everyone to look past it. This is definitely a gem of a film, and I look forward to Joseph Gordon-Levitt directing again. Plus, how nice was it to finally see 'Hit Record Productions' on the big screen? I've followed that website for a long time, and it's growth is impressive.
 
Recommended: Yes
 
Grade: B
 
Memorable Quote: "I want to lose myself." - Jon (Joseph Gordon-Levitt)

Comments

  1. asrap virtuosoOctober 5, 2013 at 10:00 AM

    5 minutes in? With an R rating those couple should have expected like that.

    I haven't seen this yet but want too.... mainly because of JGL. And he's right there are a lot of double-standards against pornography.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamOctober 5, 2013 at 8:50 PM

      No kidding. They practically ran out of the theater.

      Delete
  2. Candice FrederickOctober 5, 2013 at 11:48 AM

    wow. i'm glad to know it isn't all about porn lol.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dan O.October 5, 2013 at 1:51 PM

    Good review Brittani. The porn-angle I could work with for as long as he wanted to milk it, but when JGL started bringing in Moore's character to the forefront and making us believe them as anything, let alone, a couple, then I just couldn't give in any longer. That said, it was a good movie, if flawed one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamOctober 5, 2013 at 8:51 PM

      I believed them as a couple. Like Jon got a much needed reality check. I think it was a good debut for JGL as a director.

      Delete
  4. JoshOctober 7, 2013 at 3:36 PM

    I liked it too, but one thing that bothered me is that most of the supporting characters have little to do. Plus, the narrative didn't flow as smoothly as I would've liked. I enjoyed it overall, though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamOctober 8, 2013 at 8:06 AM

      That's true, I was actually afraid Brie Larson wasn't going to say anything at all.

      Delete
  5. TheVernOctober 8, 2013 at 10:29 PM

    I really want to see this one, and not just for the porn scenes. I like that Joe GO can make a taboo subject entertaining. That is a sign of a really good director. It sound like he is not just a flash in the pan, but a man who is very serious about his work. Looking forward to watching this when I can.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamOctober 9, 2013 at 7:40 AM

      Oh definitely. When you see what he does with hitRECord.org, you can tell he's passionate about his projects.

      Delete

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