Don Jon

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a pretty likeable commodity in Hollywood at the moment. That doesn’t change with Don Jon, but the star’s directorial debut, which he also stars in and wrote, deals with a topic not necessarily common in Hollywood. Gordon-Levitt plays Jon, who is committed to his family and church while also being a ladies man with a porn habit. When he begins dating a girl (Scarlett Johansson) with a strong liking for romantic comedies, unrealistic expectations for the opposite sex begin to make things difficult.

As an actor Gordon-Levitt is a strong lead for the film giving depth to his character that could have very easily been a 90 minute impression of “The Situation” from “The Jersey Shore.” Instead we get a guy happy with his life, who comes to a realization that his habits may not be as well-rounded as he thought. As for his direction, the film looks good, well thought out and composed for a hybrid audience of mainstream viewers and art house fans. Johansson and Julianne Moore, who plays Jon’s night school classmate, don’t come across with the depth Gordon-Levitt has however. In fact, all other characters are flat and serve a singular purpose.

Don Jon is not your typical September release. I don’t really know what month would be more fitting for the film because it’s different than all other releases this year. I’m not seeing the star turned director is the next Spielberg or anything, but there’s no doubt he went for it and aimed to make a strong first impression. The way the script addresses pornography in mainstream culture isn’t preachy in the least, but it still gets a point across about separating one’s thoughts from gender stereotypes. Don jon sends a message that Hollywood (and western culture in general) needs to hear. And it all came from the pen of the long-haired kid in “3rd Rock From the Sun.”

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.