Approx. Runtime: 90 minutes (1 hours, 30 minutes)
Language Watched: English
Type of Movie: Romantic, Comedy
Overall Impression: I wasn't sure what to expect. It -- was -- fantastic. (Disclaimer: there are pornographic clips throughout the movie)
SPOILER ALERT WARNING!!
This
review will contain some spoilers -- or rather, there will be a
"Spoilers" section at the end of the review to go into further detail
about certain things. There may still be slight spoilers throughout the
review, but I've tried my best to keep them at a minimum.
PERSONAL STANDING (Pre-exposures, thoughts, etc.)
I was in a Cineplex theatre, waiting for Kick-Ass 2 to start. I was flipping through the monthly Cineplex magazine, looking at the photos (I almost never read the articles). Then I flipped to an interview with Joseph Gordon-Levitt about his upcoming movie, Don Jon. An interview with one of my favourite actors? Sure, I'll bite. I read his response to the first question. I got excited and put away the magazine before I could read the rest (I'll mention what I read in the "Spoilers" section). At that moment, I knew I was going to watch Don Jon. I just had to. Seeing the trailer cemented my decision.
From watching the trailer, I absolutely had no idea how the movie was going to be, or how it would end. I figured that for any kind of resolve, some kind of transformation would have to take place, but I had no idea what and who it would happen to. Haha -- there were a lot of questions bouncing in my head.
Weeks later, I noticed poster advertisements for Don Jon, and one of the statements added a bit of puzzlement to me. "Romantic comedy"? What? From the trailer, I thought the movie was going to be super serious. It just added to my curiosity.
STORY
Hello, you most beautiful thing, you. (It's Barbara Sugarman)
Don Jon is about, well, Don Jon. One night he meets Barbara Sugarman, the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. After a failed attempt to woo her for a one-night stand, Jon asks her to lunch and they become a couple. Later that day, Jon finds out that Barbara has a deep interest in romantic movies. Jon enjoys watching porn. One night she catches him watching porn. What will happen to their relationship??
Okay, I'll stop here. This is barely scratching the surface of the movie's plot, but I feel that saying anything else would be giving away too much.
While I think that some of the story elements are extreme or exaggerated (can somebody love romantic movies that much? Can somebody enjoy porn that much?), I think overall the story is realistic and relatable. There are also sweet, tender moments in the movie, but my lips are sealed! ;)
VOICE-OVER NARRATION
This is where most of the comedy comes from -- hearing Jon's take on many of the issues / subject matter that come up in the movie. For me, it was almost like a tiny peek into what a guy might be thinking. Jon's summary of romantic movies was spot-on and funny, not to mention quite poetic and bouncy.
THE INTEGRATION OF PORNOGRAPHIC CLIPS
Jon on the prowl for porn.
When I updated my Facebook status, recommending Don Jon, I added this line: "My one disclaimer (in case you watch it and blame me that I didn't warn you): there are pornographic clips throughout the movie." I also mentioned this in my "Overall Impressions" line. Unfortunately, any future recommendations of Don Jon will probably always include that disclaimer, because I just know that somebody will blame me or hold me responsible if I don't.
With all that said, I find the pornographic clips very integral to the movie. They help illustrate some of Jon's thoughts on why he still watches porn while in a relationship, the difference between sex in porn and sex in real life, and so on. Later on, the clips also provide humour and a key insight into Jon's character. I should also mention that Don Jon is NOT largely made up of pornographic clips -- I'm thinking maybe... 10-15 minutes tops? When I get the DVD / Blu-Ray, I'll time it and update this line.
There are some movies where after watching it, I would think, "This would have been fine without those sex scenes" or "This would have been fine without the nudity". Mind you, I do NOT actively watch movies with sex scenes or nudity (in case my previous sentence implied it in any way, haha). For Don Jon, though, the pornographic clips fit. I can't imagine Don Jon being able to deliver what it delivers now without them.
ACTING/CHARACTERS
The acting was great. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Scarlett Johansson both played their roles well. I could really believe they were a couple that looked good on the outside, but had some internal dissonances and strife.
I also just gotta say: Joseph Gordon-Levitt looks so... HOT!!! Hahaha, okay, moving on.
Despite that, just like with the story, both Jon and Barbara have relatable and realistic traits. I think this movie is capable of getting people to take a hard look at themselves and how they may perceive "an ideal relationship" or relationships in general. After watching Don Jon, a personal concern formed in the back of my mind. I'll mention what it is in the "Spoilers" section.
I also just gotta say: Joseph Gordon-Levitt looks so... HOT!!! Hahaha, okay, moving on.
CHARACTERS
I tend to find Jon and Barbara as exaggerated, extreme versions of their "character type". Jon is a hot young stud who loves porn, sex, and hot girls. Barbara is a hopeless romantic who thinks a guy in a relationship should be willing to do anything for her -- and not watch porn. Just reading what I've typed, the character types don't sound extreme at all. I guess when placed next to each other, they are.Despite that, just like with the story, both Jon and Barbara have relatable and realistic traits. I think this movie is capable of getting people to take a hard look at themselves and how they may perceive "an ideal relationship" or relationships in general. After watching Don Jon, a personal concern formed in the back of my mind. I'll mention what it is in the "Spoilers" section.
MUSIC
There is a variety of music in Don Jon. I don't even know how to describe the it. Some scenes had really uplifting, Disney-esque music; some had old, ragtime-style (I think?) tunes. The club scenes had high energy, club-type music. There's a big mix. And they work with their scenes.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
If you can accept the fact that pornographic clips are sprinkled throughout the movie, Don Jon comes highly recommended. I've already seen it twice, and I want to see it again. The plot is simple -- but the subject matter is pretty deep. There's something really unique about this movie.
Thanks for reading! If you want some more input about something I didn't cover, feel free to ask. :)
Now I'll do the scrolly thing so you don't see the "Spoilers" section right away. Then I'll add some more scrolly things after the "Spoilers" section in case anybody wants to comment, but not see the spoilers.
Thanks for reading! If you want some more input about something I didn't cover, feel free to ask. :)
Now I'll do the scrolly thing so you don't see the "Spoilers" section right away. Then I'll add some more scrolly things after the "Spoilers" section in case anybody wants to comment, but not see the spoilers.
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SPOILERS
I read his response to the first question. I got excited
and put away the magazine before I could read the rest.
and put away the magazine before I could read the rest.
I got so excited because what he said was a thought that I've had for a long time and felt strongly about. It's something I still think and feel strongly about. This was Joseph's response when asked "How was this movie [Don Jon] born?" (proper citing will be right after the quote):
Well, I wanted to tell a story about how sometimes people treat other people like things,
instead of people. In a way, that's a very personal story because sometimes I feel like
I get treated like a thing more than like a person. But I don't think it's unique to me and
I don't think it's unique to actors, I think everybody experiences this where instead of being
treated like a person, we are pigeonholed into expectations that people have of us and
they don't let us be a living, changing, present thing.
(Joseph Gordon-Levitt's response; Roy, 40)
Citing: Roy, Mathilde. "Addicted to LOVE." Cineplex Magazine Sept. 2013: 40-42. Print.
That thought -- about how people tend to perceive others based on certain expectations -- is a thought I've had for many, many years, one that I am strongly against. I've mentioned this thought in at least one of my previous blogs, though not articulated the same way.
Pretty much, I don't like it when somebody perceives a certain aspect of me through maybe a few interactions or a few lines of thought, and then assumes or expects all my future actions to project their perception, instead of what I am. For example, let's say somebody perceives me as... "Emo". If I were to genuinely smile, my smile might be perceived as a smirk. Anything I say or do could carry less or more weight, depending on how an "Emo" person normally acts.
Another thing that I am strongly against is when somebody expects one interest to define my whole world. Anybody who says to me, "There's more to Life than video games", my response is an imaginary slap to the head. That statement really pisses me off! Thankfully, it's only been said to me once. Yes, I play video games a lot. That doesn't mean I do it every single day, every minute, every second. I mean, what the heck am I doing right now? Obviously NOT playing video games.
Then comes the expectation / assumption of: "If you like this, you probably won't like this." or "You mentioned you don't like this, so you probably won't like anything related to it, and I won't tell you about it."
I could probably go on for longer on this topic, but I won't. Seeing that Joseph Gordon-Levitt carried that same thought and it was being presented in a movie, I was really excited.
When I watched Don Jon, I looked for instances of it -- the thought that people treat each other like things -- and I found some. For example, Jon always referred to Barbara as the "most beautiful thing he's ever seen" -- he never referred to Barbara as a "person". During the times when we see Barbara integrating herself into Jon's lifestyle (going to his church, going to the gym), I almost had the feeling that they were showing each other off to the public -- kinda like a trophy girlfriend / boyfriend.
---------------------------------------------
After watching Don Jon, a personal concern formed in the back of my mind.
Well, in my mind, Barbara is a b*tch. She's very controlling and only accepts her perception of an ideal relationship and an ideal man, unable to see or be considerate of the other person. She is also a "hopeless romantic".
Here comes my concern: I'm a "hopeless romantic" as well! I'm actually quite proud to be one, haha. I kinda feel like there is almost next-to-no romance left in this world... But -- watching Don Jon put this thought in the back of my mind, Oh dear. I hope I'm not like her! Hahaha. I don't think I am -- I know I am definitely not that controlling, and I sure hope I don't project my ideals about relationship and being a lover onto others. It's definitely something for me to think about (or blog about).
If you read my spoilers, thank for reading! Now to finish with more scrolly things. If you disagree with anything or just want to say something, feel free to comment :D
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