Movie Date: Don Jon

Movie Date: Don Jon

RATING: 4/5

STARRING: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore

DIRECTOR: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

THE SKINNY: Jon (Gordon-Levitt) is the best-looking and randiest guy in his neighbourhood. Bringing home a different girl every weekend isn't enough for him; he is addicted to "self love". After he meets his true love Barbara (Johansson), he tries to change, but struggles until an older woman (Moore) takes him under her wing.

RATING: R21

THE CONSENSUS: The gratuitous display of sexy ladies will delight the guys and the girls may find it off-putting, but this is one clever and rousing satire.

MARS

It is a bit of a mystery to me why Joseph Gordon- Levitt would aspire to play a Jersey Shore-type meathead.

He is one of the smartest and most talented young actors around, and yet he chooses to write, direct and star in a flick about a muscle-bound dum-dum addicted to porn.

I prefer the slim and smart JGL.

That said, if you must see one film this year about a dude who likes naked ladies a lot, then make it this one.

It's pretty good fun.

Gordon-Levitt is making a statement about how we can get lost in our own fantasy worlds at the expense of real- life relationships, but he does so with good humour.

It is easy to see how someone might make a very turgid movie on this subject, but Don Jon is pleasantly jazzy.

It is endearing how much Don loves to clean his little apartment, taking care with the mirrors and floors.

His very frank confessions at church are super cute, while his relationship with his macho dad (Tony Danza) is adorable.

JGL is likeable even when he's playing a douche nozzle.

Johansson is also a lot of fun as a Jersey princess who is not half as smart as she thinks she is.

Not crazy about the milieu, but there is a lot of charm here.

VENUS

Is there anything that JGL cannot do? This is one really talented young man whose first foray as a feature film writer-director is nothing but applaudable.

The topic he chooses to examine is extremely forthright and brave.

Here is someone whose lust for things is insatiable, whether it is his body, bachelor pad, car or women. Yes, he treats the fairer sex as things, sex toys which he objectifies by body parts. This may come across as very insulting and degrading, but under JGL's clever direction, you feel sorry for his empty, lost character.

What can you say about a person who finds satisfaction from his laptop when a gorgeous and very real woman is in his bed? (Don never sleeps alone).

Enter Barbara, who's practically dripping sex, or, as Don likes to describe her many times, "the most beautiful THING I've ever seen".

Barbara is also a delusional character, whose own addiction to romantic comedies is ruining her life.

Johansson delivers one of her best performances of late by playing up her Snooki impression, complete with finger-wagging, head-shaking and bossy swagger. 


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