Don Jon

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore
Director: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Don Jon was the directorial debut of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, one of the finest actors working in the industry today. It was a good debut for the actor; the film was certainly entertaining. It was geared towards men, but has elements that appeal to female viewers as well. It definitely had its mix of comedy, romance and drama, and did not fail to meet expectations. It has more than what it leads on, and despite the hasty finish, it did have its momentum and an enjoyable cast to go with it.

Jon earned his moniker 'Don Jon' simply because he is good at getting women to sleep with him. His days run like a ritual, from gym, work, church, down to his nightly process of scoping women and having sex. He caps of his night with a doze of porn, and the ritual starts all over the next day. The focus slowly zooms on Jon meeting Barbara, a woman who was playing hard to get. He was soon mesmerized by her, going through lengths to give her what she wants. However, one of their problems was that she doesn't like porn, particularly of him watching any of it.

While it does seem like the story mainly revolves around porn and his relationship with Barbara, there was definitely more to the story. It unearths Jon's reasons as why he prefers porn, as well as the shatters of the relationship that he was inept seeing because he was only focusing on making things work with Barbara. This is why Brie Larson's (who has the greatest role) character is somewhat necessary to the film. Another favorite character of mine was Esther, played by Julianne Moore. I thought both female roles were highly enjoyable, as the two women were great in them. Scarlet Johansson and Joseph Gordon Levitt also gave enjoyable performances, particularly Gordon-Levitt, who never lost his character's momentum. 

Gordon-Levitt has managed to turn a hashed genre to a decent film. He definitely did not skimp out on the comedy, although it was geared mostly towards the male psyche. His dramatic elements turns to be a bit rushed, and if seeing the movie based on what the trailer provides, it doesn't give you much of an idea on how he's going to end things. He did start off with great material, but in order to end everything, the story seemed patched up as to not waver the audience's interest. 

Writing too much about the film that doesn't give us much to work with can be a bit spoiler-y, but it really is more than what Joseph Gordon Levitt has us believe. While it might not initially look that way, I thought that it was a romantic dramedy that catered to both men and women, although the interpretation of the information may vary. It's about relationships, the expectations and realities of it. It's a great debut from the actor, and I think it won't be long when he's off making brilliant works, taking the steps of other great actors-turned-directors before him