Joseph Gordon-Levitt is just 32 years of age. Let that sink in for a second. One of the most talented and promising directors in Hollwyood is just 32 years of age. Sure, Steven Speilberg made a massive impact in his earlier years but it has been a long time since we have really noticed a new talent that can sit alongside the old Masters.
Like it or not, Hollywood is dominated by those old Masters, Spielberg, Lucas, Scott, Bay (yes, we know, not a Masters, but he is exceptionally successful) Fincher. Directing a big budget film almost goes hand in hand with being an older man, yes sorry, man. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is certainly a break from that tradition, arguably someone we can begin to pin new hopes on.
Gordon-Levitt has certainly never been afraid to pursue projects in the past that he has had a distinct interest in, picking work that is exceptionally interesting without being too patronisingly artistic. Mysterious Skin was certainly one of those projects and the fascinating Brick, the fantastic Looper and yet, he was still more than capable of working in the mainstream, The Dark Knight Rises perhaps the biggest production he has worked on.
Although Don Jon isn’t exactly going to break ground as the most original film you will ever see, it certainly is one of the most exciting projects to make it to the big screen, purely because of the introduction we are getting to the amazing potential that is Gordon-Levitt.
Don Jon revolves around its central character Jon, a young bartender who only cares about a few things in his life, things that he keeps reminding us about, his body, his care, his home, his women, his family, his church and arguably, most importantly, his porn. All of the above are exceptionally important until Jon meets Barbara (Scarlett Johansson) who begins to demand things of Jon that he has never given another woman before.
As Jon struggles to please his demanding new girlfriend and family, he begins to find it more difficult to cover up a strong addiction to porn and his inability to hold down a serious relationship because of it. However, his friendship with Esther (Julianne Moore), a mature student which he meets at evening classes, begins to ground him and he begins to discover what he wants from life.
First off, the script is a marvel. Exceptionally funny in places, Gordon-Levitt owns the entire Jersey attitude and speech, allowing his characters to evolve out of just remaining two-dimensional typical characters you may find in Jersey Shore. Not only that, but as a romantic-comedy, Don Jon has a lot more levels to it than you originally think, finding oneself, heartbreak, marriage, relationships, ambitions all figure at one point or another without actually screaming at you to pay attention. It also nails the unrealistic expectations from relationships, sex is never like porn, relationships are never like the movies.
As the demanding Barbara, Scarlett Johansson is absolutely pitch perfect, nailing the Jersey action and actions (there is plenty of hand waving and finger clicking here). However, the rest of the cast are also exceptional, the wonderful Julianne Moore, Tony Danza is a scream as Jon’s father and even the amazing appearances from Anne Hathaway and Channing Tatum.
You will also be very surprised at how much you genuinely laugh during this film. Certainly a winner. Joseph, do not stop what you are doing.
