“Don Jon” opens with a collage of erotic imagery from many mainstream media outlets. From the expected risqué music videos to clips of scantily clad women on game shows. Intercut with this are clips from pornos, with the titular Don Jon (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) proclaiming his love of the genre. This is Levitt’s sly way of criticizing the media for promoting sex for profit (there’s a scene where he and his father ogle over a Hardees commercial that involves a woman in a bikini), then turning around and lambasting the porno industry.
That’s not to say this is a pro-porn film. While Jon himself is a connoisseur of adult film, he digests it in a destructive manner. He intakes it every day, usually multiple times. Despite getting lucky with women every weekend, he prefers pornography to the real thing. There’s certain things women will do in porno that they won’t do in real life (the biggest being blowjobs). This fantasy gets him off to the point that it’s become second nature to him. Like an addict, he doesn’t notice he can’t control this anymore.
Jon finally decides to settle down and have an actual relationship. This stems from a rejection from the lovely Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson). The fact that a dime turned him down eats him alive, actually causing him to fall for her. After some Facebook stalking, the two finally hook up and take things slow. He takes her to the movies (where another sly criticism comes in the form of mass media producing ridiculous fantasies, just like the porn industry), introduces her to his friends & family and waits over an entire month until getting into bed with her. It’s at this point he discovers he’s in love with her.
He’s also still in love with pornography. He still can’t get that same sensation he does from the videos. She catches him one night and demonizes him for it and he promises to quit. Easier said than done. This is where Levitt, as a first time director, could’ve went the easy route. Have Jon struggle with his addiction, overcome it and set things right. Go with the standard formula his character mocked.
Thankfully, that’s not the direction Levitt takes. While he does have Jon struggle with his porn addiction, it’s not in a typical fashion. He only slowly realizes his addiction after befriending Esther (Julianne Moore), a fellow student at his night class. After slowly warming up to her, he starts to discover that his love of porn is because it’s a one-sided affair, which strangely parallels his relationship with Barbara (she’s the one that forced him to take the night class, after all). This feels ham-fisted at first, with Esther feeling forced into the film to get the message across. Levitt does work out the kinks and it ends up being really sweet.
Levitt uses this subtle direction throughout his film. He touches upon the strained relationship Jon has with his parents (Tony Danza & Glenne Headly) and how they unintentionally force him into certain situations (possibly causing his lustful attitude). He also tackles some of the hypocrisy of organized religion, specifically the Catholic church. Jon goes to Mass every Sunday and is resolved of his sins simply for confessing. It’s basically breaking the rules but getting off scot-free. Still, it’s kind of heartwarming to see how dedicated he is to it.
As a first-time director, Levitt does a damn fine job with “Don Jon”! He tells a compelling tale of an addict trying to make right with his life, while subtlety poking holes at formulas and hypocrisies. There are times certain aspects of the story feel forced, but he’s able to smooth out the rough patches. He gets terrific performances out of the entire cast (bad accents aside), including himself. That last one may sound easy, but not having somebody to tell you if you’re doing something right is much harder than it seems. Levitt comes out swinging and connects!
Final Rating: B+