'Don Jon' review
Just saw Joseph Gordon Levitt’s directoral debut, Don Jon. So, this movie was not what I expected. And I say that in the best way possible. The movie was unexpected and fresh. Better yet, it has a feminist, progressive message that was thought-provoking but not preachy.
So, the movie features Jon (JGL), a New Jersey dudebro who sees women in terms of numbers (1-10) and prefers porn to the selfish sex he has with randos he pulls at the club. This all ends when he meets Barbara (Scarlett Johansson). Case closed-typical love story.
Wrong.
JGL’s script is smarter than that. First, the movie makes you complicit in rooting for Jon/Barbara, even though there are obvious, glaring problems in the relationship (Barbara hates porn, Jon lies.) Both characters are written in a realistic way, with flaws that stem from social conditioning, both of gender roles and what gender roles mean in romantic relationships. The real centerpiece of the film is not the romance between Jon and Barbara, but the fragile friendship between Jon and Esther (Julianne Moore). I won’t say more because I do not want to spoil the movie, but suffice it to say that Jon has to learn to interact with women as PEOPLE, not as objects-to-be-fucked. And his redemption is gradual, and painful, and unsentimental.
It is rare for a film to take on issues like porn and the false expectations it generates, without preaching a “all porn is eeeeeevil” agenda. And this film is refreshing in it’s sex-positivity, while still maintaining that sex is about *connecting.* I enjoyed this movie so much that I am going back to the theater next weekend to watch it again.
Run down: Don Jon’ has an R rating for lots and lots of graphic depictions of porn, sex, sex noises, etc. There is also a minimal amount of violence, some swearing and a few homophobic slurs, as well as some sexist ways of talking about women. However, these things are contextualized and not explained away or excused.
Score: 10/10-really clever, progressive movie, wonderful script, well-acted and beautifully directed.
So, the movie features Jon (JGL), a New Jersey dudebro who sees women in terms of numbers (1-10) and prefers porn to the selfish sex he has with randos he pulls at the club. This all ends when he meets Barbara (Scarlett Johansson). Case closed-typical love story.
Wrong.
JGL’s script is smarter than that. First, the movie makes you complicit in rooting for Jon/Barbara, even though there are obvious, glaring problems in the relationship (Barbara hates porn, Jon lies.) Both characters are written in a realistic way, with flaws that stem from social conditioning, both of gender roles and what gender roles mean in romantic relationships. The real centerpiece of the film is not the romance between Jon and Barbara, but the fragile friendship between Jon and Esther (Julianne Moore). I won’t say more because I do not want to spoil the movie, but suffice it to say that Jon has to learn to interact with women as PEOPLE, not as objects-to-be-fucked. And his redemption is gradual, and painful, and unsentimental.
It is rare for a film to take on issues like porn and the false expectations it generates, without preaching a “all porn is eeeeeevil” agenda. And this film is refreshing in it’s sex-positivity, while still maintaining that sex is about *connecting.* I enjoyed this movie so much that I am going back to the theater next weekend to watch it again.
Run down: Don Jon’ has an R rating for lots and lots of graphic depictions of porn, sex, sex noises, etc. There is also a minimal amount of violence, some swearing and a few homophobic slurs, as well as some sexist ways of talking about women. However, these things are contextualized and not explained away or excused.
Score: 10/10-really clever, progressive movie, wonderful script, well-acted and beautifully directed.