For those of you who may not realize it, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has a pretty strong presence on the internet. I’m not talking simply about the post-Nolan traffic, but rather his company, hitRECord, an online collaborative company where artists from different mediums come together to create unique content, having produced numerous shorts, CD’s and short story anthologies.
Review Score: 3.5/5
“Don Jon” marks the first feature film to come from the company and collaborative processes the company is known for, as Levitt brings us what can be best summarized as a male-centric take on romantic escapism. By that, I mean that he provides another insight into the lives of those who seek the fantastical romantic life as seen in romantic comedies and, in the case of our protagonist, pornography.
As the title would suggest, Levitt plays a modern Don Juan, a playboy who’s able to snag woman after woman with little effort.
Despite that, the meaningless casual encounters have left him dissatisfied with sex life, fueling an addiction to internet pornography.
From there, the story follows his journey for satisfaction and the peaks and valleys therein, presented in a way that is somewhat insightful, but also painful to sit through if you’re a person who likes the romanticized depiction of sex or are someone who isn’t too fond of such content in any form.
The first thing I have to say about the film is that it feels long, which says something big, as it only clocks in at about 90 minutes.
Another thing I must mention is that the film also has a very “indie” feel to it. While it’s not the pretentious kind of “indie,” it’s most definitely the kind of “indie” most mainstream viewers will have a hard time stomaching.
Throughout the film, we’re given a few scenes and characters that felt a tad unnecessary, however I’m hesitant to say that it needed to be trimmed down, as some of the elements that probably would’ve been cut by a major studio add an extra layer. This makes its message a little more poignant, as they add a degree of realism that, had those elements been absent, would’ve negated the entire point the film was trying to make.
Stylistically, there are a few hiccups here and there as it’s not a film that is limited solely to one genre.
As such, the casual moviegoer probably won’t get that much out of it. This is definitely one for the cinephiles, people who approach cinema as more of an art form as opposed to a mass medium.
If you’re a fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and his company hitRECord, then you already know whether or not you’re going to see “Don Jon.” If you’re into the indie stuff and can stomach the level of objectionable content, then I recommend this film based on its artistic merits. On my personal scale, I give “Don Jon” a 3.5/5.
