movie review: don jon

Two movies this week! Crazy. 

Last night was Don Jon, which I have to say I really enjoy. I like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, not really sure why, something I can put my finger on, maybe its just a childhood crush from his "Third Rock from the Sun" days. So when I first saw the strange but captivating trailer for this movie, I knew I had to see this movie. This is Joseph Gordon-Levitt's writing and directing premiere and according to his interview with Howard Stern, he has been working on the film since 2008.

The movie revolves around Jon, a macho man who is addicted to pornography. He even claims that he prefers porn to having sex with a girl. The character makes us reflect on how porn has created unrealistic expectations for sex and relationships. On the flip side, he meets a gorgeous woman (Scarlett Johansson) who creates unrealistic expectations of relationship and men through the love stories she watches. It is an interesting commentary on how people create expectations based on completely ridiculous premises. The film also looks at how our world has become so sexualized, mocking the Paris Hilton burger commercial. The movie was a bit repetitive but I think it was a way to build on his character, show that he was very one-dimensional and how he lived his life essentially on repeat. Most of the characters were over-stereotyped people from New Jersey, which could get to be annoying but I think it was meant to be a bit satirical (at least I hope it was). It was also pretty neat that he was able to get some big names for this small budget film.

I really enjoyed this film. I laughed out loud quite a bit but I also cared about the characters which is really important when I'm watching a film. If I don't care what happens to them, I don't want to waste my time watching it. I would recommend this movie if you're looking for an adult comedy with a little bit of substance but still some pretty ridiculous situations. What's your favourite low-budget film? Let me know in the comments. Happy watching!