Friday, September 27, 2013

Don Jon





                                                                     


            Some people would say that with all of the social networks that are out there, there is less need for face to face interaction.  Staring at a screen and reading updates, or watching videos can seem less complicated. The negative part of not having that face time is that you start to lose the ability to relate to others. It also changes your expectations and may affect your relationships outside the online world. A great example of that is porn, something that is far from reality of what sex is like. Porn is also something rarely talked about, as is the place it has it some people’s lives.
            Jon (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a typical guy. He is single and lives life the way he wants to. Jon only cares about a few things in life, His family, his car, his place, working out, church, his ladies, and his porn. Jon loves his porn; it is a place he can get away from all the hassles of life. The problem is, even though Jon can have any woman he wants; none of them give him what porn does. Jon’s life changes though when he lays eyes on Barbara (Scarlett Johansson), to him she is the perfect girl. Jon becomes a changed man for Barbara, well changed man if it doesn't evolve giving up his porn. Jon eventually must make a choice between fantasy and what is real and discover that relationships are not a one way street.
               Let’s face it there are not many more likable people out there than Joseph Gordon-Levitt. So he may be one of the few people who could do a film about a guy addicted to porn and get away with it. Not only did he star in this film as the ultimate douchebag, but this is his writing and directorial debut. It has to be fun to write a character like that, a guy you have seen if you have ever partake in any sort of night life. Both Gordon-Levitt and Johansson go all in on their characters and play them perfectly. As good as the two leads are though; the film is helped by the supporting roles. Tony Danza as Jon’s father, Brie Larson as his Sister, and Julianne Moore as a lady who teaches Jon a few things are all fantastic in their roles. As funny and clever as “Don Jon” is, I can see how it might not be for everyone. The movie is about a guy who loves porn, so there is plenty of imagery.  The problem is that if you choose to skip this movie you will be missing something that is good, and fresh, and not like something you see very often. Good movies are harder to find these days amongst the corporate studio world. So why not give “Don Jon” a chance, and enjoy a movie that will give you a good reason to talk about porn.

Brian Taylor  





No comments:

Post a Comment