Don Jon

A modern-day Casanova

Don Jon. Directed & written by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

It’s not every day you come across a rom-com you can relate to. In fact, this is the reason why I limit my chick flick watching to boredom or research (I watched Twilight for you, guys).

Pretty Woman... hmm no. Valentine’s Day… too much cheese. The Notebook… please, that’s so sweet it’s giving me diabetes (although if I need a good cry session, this works every time). This goes for every Nicholas Sparks movie ever made. There’s something about the mix of terminal illness, young love and way-too-good-looking leading men that’s just too much.

Love, relationships, are not perfect, and while it is nice to indulge in a bit of escapism every now and then with Sparks’ mush, reality can also be just as entertaining without leaving you feeling completely estranged from the over-the-top romanticism.

Hate rom-coms? So does Don Jon, and that’s why this is the movie for you.

The last time I felt connected/entertained by a rom-com was, ironically, another Joseph Gordon-Levitt flick (500) Days of Summer. Although he wasn’t the director of that movie, his “warts and all” portrayal of a twenty-something relationship from start to finish was a breath of fresh air. While Don Jon is more R-rated, the message is still the same and the off-beat humour strikes the right chord.

Our titular character, nicknamed Don Jon for his prowess with the ladies (played by Gordon-Levitt), loves just a few things in life: His looks, his apartment, his girls and most importantly his internet porn. Without using the word addict, it’s clear he can’t let it go, no matter how beautiful his latest sexual conquest. When he meets his dream girl Barbara  (Scarlett Johansson), he tries to give porn the flick, but finds it’s not that easy. But as he begins to break away from the habit, Don finds there’s more to life than his own desires.

Nothing like a bit of late-night web browsing… in the nude. 

Once “the son on 3rd Rock from the Sun“, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is all grown up and after a string of “adult films” (Inception, 50/50, Looper) has proved himself capable of so much more than tween stuff. Now, he’s also shown himself as a talented filmmaker. While he’s employing simple film techniques, such as clever soundtrack cues, repeated images to highlight routine and familiarity, sometimes the most simple are the most effective. They don’t detract from the story and serve to add emphasis in all the right places – as Don’s view of relationships begins to change, so too does the way it’s presented to us.

As the star, Gordon-Levitt is outstanding. Crass, hard-talking, sexist: his got the New Jersey cliché down and channels just the right amount of Pauly D. But as he realises his selfish ways and reliance on the fake world of porn, his looks and demeanour change. It’s textbook stuff – his hair becomes softer, he stops lifting weights in favour of team sports – but the hook is in the delivery and well-written dialogue to stop the conventional become boring. 

The cougar and the cock: Don meets his match in Esther. 

While we’re led to believe Scarlett Johansson is our leading lady as Barbara Sugarman, the “dime” of his dreams, it’s actually an unassuming side character Esther (played wonderfully by Julianne Moore), who has the biggest impact on Don. An older woman, she brings an experience and maturity that opens his eyes to his superficial opinion of women, including Barbara (who, as you can imagine is all tits and ass). That said, Johansson is hilarious as she flicks her hair, pops gum and shimmys about in far-too-tight red dress. She’s every bit the Jersey housewife wannabe, looking for the man to be everything she wants him to be so she can have her fairytale movie ending.

“He was all up on me screaming yeah yeah”: Don Jon makes his move. 

Co-stars Tony Danza and Glenne Headly round out a stellar cast as Don’s overbearing father and doting mother, who want nothing more than to see their son to settle down. It’s pretty obvious where he gets his one-eyed opinion of women from.

To see things from the guy’s point of view was, to say the least, eye-opening. From why internet porn is better than real sex (hint: there’s more blow jobs) to how a meaningful relationship can end up being better than internet porn, this is not a female-driven narrative. But it ends up being very female-centric as Don finds it’s not just about becoming what she wants or visa versa, but accepting each other for who we are and making that, in whatever form it comes in, work. A timely reminder for Valentine’s Day? Perhaps.

Reel moments:
Crowd pleaser: Gordon-Levitt is a scene stealer. He’s come a long way from child stardom and transforms himself into an utter douchebag. But the kind of douchebag you want to date. And then break up with.

Stage dive: How uncomfortably misogynist Don’s dad is. Dude, it’s not cool to check out your son’s lady. And yes, he’s noticing that lingering hug. Awkward.

Curtain call: Satisfying for both sexes, there’s a lot of give and take in this rom-com to appeal to both guys and girls. The right mix of sentimentality, smut and serious laugh-out-loud moments.