memento_mori's Movie Review of Don Jon

Rating of
3/4

Don Jon

No laughing matter.
memento_mori - wrote on 12/25/13

Just when I thought a romantic comedy couldn't be philosophical.

The fact that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a natural writing and directing talent is embodied in his debut film wholeheartedly. I say that because I don't think there is a single moment where his writing seems unnatural or where a character isn't reminiscent of a type of person you may encounter outside of a 90-minute film.

The film is very subjective. It is funny, but I bet if you went to see this film one evening while drunk, you would most likely leave the theater left cold. It's much more than a tale of a man addicted to pornography who tries to get over it with the help of two women.
It's writing that makes you think about behavior. It's a screenplay which does not reveal much, but it is excellent at pulling you into the situation.

It feels like something beyond a comedy or a romance or even a fun film for that fact. When you watch it, you slowly start to get what these characters are doing wrong or right.
It feels like a simple commentary on people's lives sometimes. The writing is so top-notch that you begin to ask yourself exactly why the film repeats itself at so many points. Why routine is barely altered; why a person tries to change, but never does completely.

So, to get to the point: It's an amazing debut. Great direction, great acting, outstanding writing.

I liked it because I felt it needed to leave you cold. It's a story that has been told a million times before and a story that has never been told before. Something that seems incredibly shallow on the outside, as prejudiced as a smile or a person's deceiving look on a romantic comedy movie poster.
When it comes down to it, the subjective layers of a relationship, that the handsome guy from Inception has chosen to show, really mean something.

Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
  
Are you sure you want to delete this review?
  
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?