Film Review: Don Jon's Addiction
by Rose Finlay

Don Jon's Addiction
Director: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
USA

Don Jon's Addiction is the story of a modern Don Juan nicknamed Don Jon by his friends because he is always able to pull in "10s" (beautiful women) whenever they go out. Despite this, he finds that no woman can ever compare to the feelings he gets when he watches pornography. Dissatisfied with this, he tries to find a better sex life, and, through the help of two different women, he learns lessons about himself and what sex is really all about.

This is the first feature film directed and written by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and it will probably be a successful one. The pacing is fast and the comedy keeps everything light -- even though the character of Jon is not the most evolved male individual. There is some repetition (notably the "on" button sound of his computer and the porn shots) which probably should be edited out for a cleaner movie, but serve the purpose of simultaneously shocking the audience and making them laugh. What is perhaps the best example of Gordon-Levitt's talents is that he made Don a believable person (we have all met men like him, who live to objectify women), but not an unlikable one. He objectifies everything in his life -- his religion, family, cars -- and so, objectifying women just falls into his shallow thought process. Watching him emerge from this is what makes the film enjoyable, and Gordon-Levitt handles this well with his direction, writing and acting. Keep an eye out for Joseph Gordon-Levitt, he will be one of Hollywood’s most interesting directors in the future.