KO Review of Don Jon
Last night I went to see Don Jon. The film written and directed by the handsome and talented actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The film is about Jon, a single bachelor who cares about his body, his pad, his ride, his family, his church, his boys, his girls and his PORN! The conflict in the film is his addiction to online porno movies. Jon’s life seems simple until he falls in love with a “dime” named Barbara Sugermann played by Scarlett Johansson. A girl who was unlike all the previous girls who were quick to jump into bed with him, which I guess in New Jersey, makes her a “princess”. The story was great, for a first time feature film writer and director, I thought Gordon-Levitt did a superb job. I loved the cinematography and artsy rhythmic editing.
I am a big ScarJo fan and could not wait to see her play a gum chewing, hoop earring wearing Jersey Girl… but shockingly enough, she wasn’t the reason I fell in love with this film. Julianne Moore was! Julianne Moore plays Esther, a middle aged- new age hippy and widow that teaches Jon about human connection in a very real way. The acting was brilliant. At times I laughed, cringed and was even brought to tears… the story was touching and the acting made it transcendent of characters in media today who most people know someone like, or can relate to in one way or another.
The underlying theme in this film was about escaping reality through fantasy, which for Jon was online sites like pornhub, and for Barbara was rom-coms or romantic dramas where everyone meets, falls in love, gets married and lives happily ever after. Neither of these fantasies is healthy for the way we perceive relationships in our everyday lives, but humans have a need to be loved and accepted. Jon had a hard time finding a connection to women because he was so thrilled with fulfilling his own needs through pornography. Esther points out to him though, that the girls in porno movies are acting, just like any actress in those rom-coms or dramas his girlfriend Barbara watches and he will never learn to be fulfilled unless he is willing to try and fulfill another humans needs. Follow?
Photo Courtesy of the Hollywood Reporter
