Don Jon

If I have learned anything from Don Jon, its that New Jersey is a very dark and disgusting place. The people there are just horrible horrible people who just happen to be Catholic.

But Don Jon is the directorial debut of Joseph Gordon Levitt. Now apart of me doesn't like Joseph Gordon Levitt only for the fact that I think he's been a little bit overhyped. I'm not saying he's a bad actor or anything, I just think people's thoughts on him have been blown out of proportion.

This movie however actually makes me believe all the raves about him.

Don Jon focuses on Jon Martello (Played by Levitt). Jon has a very calculated list of priorities. There are a few things that are important to him, ranging from his car to his family, his faith, his boys, oh and porn.

He brings up the fact that in his mind, Porn is better than actual sex. And at first all the guys in the audience who have had sex are like, "No, I mean don't get me wrong, porn is good, but sex is sex right?"

But no, Jon gives a list of reasons why porn is better than sex, and as a guy, you kind of have to say, "Well... you're not wrong that's for sure"

Jon is your stereotypical hot blooded Italian. Whenever he's in the car he's yelling at other cars, he's working out, looking at himself in the mirror while he's working out, he's having sex with every girl he meets at the club and to end it all, he masturbates to porn.

And then he meets Scarlett Johansson's character, Barbara Sugarman. He starts out this relationship and all things considered, it actually starts out really great and is a good thing for Jon.

She however catches him watching porn after sex and gets rather angry. Jon covers it up saying he doesn't watch porn and lies to her for the rest of their relationship.

Now this is one part of the movie I didn't really find believable, how in God's name do you have sex with Scarlett Johansson and then look at porn right after? Dear god, what the hell is wrong with you.

While Barbara is just as Jersey shore as Jon, but she's a little smarter. There's actually a point in the movie where you see Jon becoming a better person, trying to better himself. For a while, Barbara seems like the best thing that ever happened to him.

In the end, this movie is about relationships. Its a very clear cut example of how his life changes when he enters a relationship. A pattern had been established before and suddenly that pattern includes Barbara.

I'm not usually one to talk about cinematography but the sequences in which this movie is shot is very original and really adds to the story in a clever way.

The same way things change when Barbara is in the picture they start to change when Barbara is no longer in the picture. It shows how people get in and out of relationships, how they cope, how they deal and in this case, its with porn.

Now throughout this film, Jon meets a woman in his class who for the majority of the movie, I was wondering what the hell she was doing there. (played by Julianne Moore)

The relationship between these two starts off so weird. She catches him watching porn on his cell phone, she gives him a retro porno, its was just strange. Even now its fucking weird how these two get to know one another and their relationship grows.

Other characters in the movie include Jon's family. Now if you read the first text in this post and said, "What is wrong with you? Why would you gather all people from New Jersey into one category like that?" The reason is Jon's family. It consists of his father, played by Tony Danza, his mother played by Glenne Headly, and his sister, played by Brie Larson.

Now to be fair, when I say I really think people from New Jersey are horrible horrible people, I'm talking more about the stereotype surrounding New Jersey.

That Italian, Jersey Shore, devout Catholic, over the top stereotype that some people find hilarious. I personally find it annoying as hell.

I liken it to the Minnesota stereotype. I'm from Minnesota and I think that's why I didn't really warm up to Fargo the way most people do. Therefore whenever a stereotype like this is embellished the way it is in Don Jon, I get kind of annoyed.

How family however did serve one great purpose and that brings me into my next point.

A lot of the movie focuses on the idea of relationships and how they are two way streets. No relationship is going to be perfect so it takes both parties to open communication and give and take, similarly to a team. Its also about love and how often times we force ourselves into thinking things are love because of the way someone looks or the way they make you feel as though they're making your life better in one way or another.

The way this is done is very unique and while its a little bit in your face with the message, I think its good every so often to have a movie that is obvious enough so that you can point out the point its trying to make but vague enough so that discussion can happen.

And that leads me to the other main idea the movie focuses on.

The objectification of women in the mass media we have today.

Now I go to a liberal arts college, I've seen the youtube videos, I know all the ways in which the media portrays women in dehumanizing ways. I've heard it over and over and I'll be honest, sometimes I get tired of hearing about it.

The way this movie portrays that message, is just phenomenal.

Its not like the point they make about how working relationships work where they basically said, "Here's our morale! Listen to each other!"

Instead the message it has on the objectification of women is done with such class and such subtlety, I really really enjoyed it.

They never really say, we shouldn't objectify women but there are just moments where you think, "Wow, they just see her as piece of meat right now, don't they?"

There's actually a really weird scene when Jon brings him Barbara to meet his parents. They immediately comment on how beautiful she is and when the women are in the kitchen, Tony Danza comes up to Jon and starts talking, to his son, about how nice his girlfriend's tits are.

And its not just his dad but his friends are your stereotypical testosterone filled men just looking out to score some tail, rating women and objectifying them. Not to mention they're all cast members of Jersey Shore.

But there's a great scene where Jon is at home. They're eating dinner and suddenly one of those dumb commercial of the woman eating the cheeseburger on the beach comes on and the camera does a pan around to look at everyone at the table.

And of course, all the men are looking at the screen and all the women are looking away. What's more you can almost see looks of insecurity on the faces of Jon's mom and sister. Its actually done very, very well.

In the end, it really comes down to a message saying that porn is not about sex, or glorifying sex, because porn is an image of women and sex that cannot be achieved. It really becomes an addiction for Jon and the awesome part is its done is such a smart and interesting way.

And its not just saying, Porn is bad, they bring in other sides to it, it comes into the other message of relationships and how it affects those you love. In short its a really well done look at how glorified porn is these days and lets the audience decide what they want to take from it in the end.

The movie is by no means perfect. It has some script issues that make the dialogue really cheap. And while the message is good, its very, very clear the message Levitt is trying to get across to his audience.

While its nice to have that right in your face, I think some people might enjoy the movie more if some of the themes were a little bit more subtle.

I suprisingly like Don Jon a lot more than I thought I would. While it wouldn't be my pic for my directorial debut, I have to give Levitt credit, its a pretty good start. It takes a great look at expectations couples set for each other in relationships and gives a great message on the image men have of women in our society. I might say its a little over the top and really makes me hate New Jersey, but that hatred is soon overlooked when you look at the characters, the themes, and the comedic heart this film has.

Joe you sly, sly Dog

So have you seen Don Jon? What did you think? Comment and Discuss Below.

I'll leave you with this. I can't in good conscience finish up a review where one of the main themes is the way women are portrayed in the media. So I'll leave it in a link. It is a big deal and something that needs recognition. But on a lighter note, here's Joseph Gordon Levitt lip syncing with Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Merchant. Enjoy!