Don Jon
by Bethany Lewis
The first thing you notice about Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s directorial debut DON JON, aside from a nagging fear that the sex and pornography will eventually degenerate into tastelessness (which it doesn’t), is the rhythm of the film. Very immediately, there is a rhythm to the writing, the dialogue, the scene and story structure, the editing, the acting, the sex, the porn. Every detail – from the beats of a conversation to the pattern of daily routines, from the moan of a porn star to the startup sound on a laptop – is deliciously and impeccably timed. And despite this deliberate sense of structure, like any rhythm it allows for deviation, variation, and syncopation. Rather than being overly beholden to its timing, Don Jon is fun, playful, and anything but predictable.
DON JON follows the life of a young New Jersey man named Jon (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who has a very defined set of things that matter to him – his body, his pad, his ride, his family, his church, his boys, his girls, and his porn. Rinse, wash, repeat – until he meets Barbara (Scarlett Johansson), the perfect girl and his first real relationship. From here on out his life starts changing – everything except his porn. Jon gets something from porn that he can’t get from real sex and it’s an addiction he’s not willing to break. Predictably enough, this causes problems in his relationship with Barbara and brings up questions about his addiction, what he wants in life, and what he wants in his future relationships. Along comes Esther (Julianne Moore), a night school classmate who is unusually honest and strangely compelling, who has Jon asking himself the tough questions.
While this is Gordon-Levitt’s directorial debut, there is nothing in the production, execution, or writing of the film that would indicate any such inexperience. In fact, not only is the film stylish, wonderfully paced, exquisitely written, and expertly acted, but there seems to be some recognition of the Joseph Gordon-Levitt touch, even though there’s not much to which it can be compared. But there does seem to be a certain attraction for Gordon-Levitt to films with a recognizable rhythm or pacing. Certainly, the film noir quality of his work on BRICK (2005) with Rian Johnson required a very specific kind of rhythm in order to achieve the intended style, and Gordon-Levitt’s own short film SPARKS (2009) has a very distinct rhythmic quality to it as well. Whatever the reason, Gordon-Levitt is written all over DON JON – which is certainly not a bad thing.
Gordon-Levitt, of course, plays the title character Don Jon – a nick name he acquired because of his luck with the ladies. While initially the heavy New Jersey accent and accompanying machismo feels a little laughable, it quickly becomes just one facet of Jon’s complex life and personality. Jon is immediately endearing, charming, relatable, and funny. Gordon-Levitt’s sense of comedic timing is as good as his dramatic acting, and he puts both to good use. Julianne Moore as the unconventional, free-spirited Esther is mesmerizing. She may smile and laugh, but we can tell from the sadness just behind her eyes that there is something tragic about her that she’s fighting to keep in check. And Tony Danza is a very pleasant and humorous surprise as Jon’s father, the wife-beater wearing, football watching, macho New Jerseyite.
While any film of this kind – focusing on issues of adulthood, addiction, coming of age, self-discovery, romance, family, and relationships – has a danger of quickly falling into tedium and cliché, DON JON completely avoids either at every turn. Gordon-Levitt’s film is as original and genuine as it is warm and funny. If his next film is as unique and entertaining as his first, it will be a joy to follow Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s career as a writer/director, and hopefully for many years to come.
