Dan Simeone on Don Jon

Don Jon Done Good

Grade: A-

My first advanced screening experience was quite unforgettable. Not because it was the first time I stood in line to maybe get into the screening, not because Joseph-Gordon Levitt spoke to us in-person before the screening, but because I saw it with someone I just met. Don Jon is a story about Jon, American-Italian bartender in New Jersey, who goes on a journey to make his sex life, as satisfying as masturbating.

Keep in mind, this is Levitt’s first feature film that he has written, directed and starred in. He is no Ben Affleck, but he is not too far behind.  Jon, played by Joseph-Gordon Levitt, is a systematic character. He goes to church, the gym, the club, takes someone home and has family dinner on Sunday nights. The shots are systematic, but as he and the story changes, so do the shots. We also see signs of a good writing by use of tools like repeating and varying jokes about not being aware of commonly known things. The entire cast had solid performances. I’m not from the area, so I cannot say how authentic the accents were, however, it clearly came more naturally to Scarlett Johansson than it did for Levitt. I truly believe this is an effect of taking on so many of the roles in the production process, something that Chris Nolan warned him about. There are many other aspects to consider diving into, like his religious beliefs and how they clash with non-marital sex and masturbating habits, and the film is worthy of subsequent viewings to further dissect these topics

Given the topic Levitt takes the risk of being very vulnerable to us, and in this case the reward matches the risk. Levitt had been working on the script for this movie since 2008, and it clearly shows that a lot of thought went into the movie. It’s a great movie, see it if you get the chance. I honestly cannot say who you should watch this with…well not kids…or anyone with no experience in bumping uglies, hiding the salami, playing on all fours, feeding the kitten etc.  It really depends on how comfortable you are with the topic. I watched this movie with someone I met five minutes before the show. It’s a good thing she was cool about it, because there were many porn clips in the movie. See it, get out of your comfort zone, and see it.