The ideas about
romance buried within the screenplay of Don
Jon are far from original, to the point that each of the film’s twists can
be seen far in advance, but the presentation of these ideas come through unique
characters and original plot points. At the center of the film is a simple
argument that Hollywood romantic comedies are just as unhealthy for the female
mind as pornography is for the male mind, essentially setting both up for
disappointment when life does not live up to their fantasy for cinematic
perfection.
Jon Martello (Joseph
Gordon-Levitt) would be a likely candidate for a new “Jersey Shore” cast
member, spending every day working out and cleaning so that he can spend every
night trying to get laid in clubs. The one thing we don’t see Jon do much of is
work, though his hours as a bartender would likely be during the very time we
see him constantly gallivanting. When Jon meets Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett
Johansson) he wants to sleep with her because she is the most beautiful girl
he’s ever met, but she is high maintenance and leads Jon into a relationship by
dangling sex like a carrot. The problem comes when Jon finally gets what he
wants and is still left unsatisfied. Jon’s reliance on pornography to fulfill
sexual desires is in complete contradiction to the Hollywood
image of romance in Barbara’s fantasy, causing a rift in their relationship.
This film relies
heavily on the New Jersey stereotypes for humor and some of the ideas are
somewhat transparent in the screenplay, but Don
Jon is still a solid filmmaking debut for Gordon-Levitt. The Blu-ray
release includes a making-of featurette, as well as four additional featurettes
that are mostly fluff, and the HitRECord shorts. The Blu-ray combo pack also
comes with a DVD and digital copy.
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8/10
Historical
Significance: 5/10
Disc Features: 6/10
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