Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes his directorial debut in the film "Don Jon", about a porn-addicted Lothario who falls in love with the hottest girl he's ever laid eyes on.
The hitRECord-produced dark comedy stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore andTony Danza, out in theaters on Sept. 27.
So what do critics have to say about the film? Surprisingly, many of Hollywood's cut-throat critics found the Gordon-Levitt's project extremely entertaining. "Don Jon" tackles issues about sex, religion and "unrealistic" lifestyles in today's society.
Check out quick snippets of what reviewers had to say below.
Vulture.com said Gordon-Levitt "scores with the porn-addiction comedy:"
"The movie is a broad ethnic comedy, but there's nothing broad about the wicked-smart way it's executed. Even long-played-out stereotypes take on new life. Don Jon suggests the reason for Guidos acting like Guidos and JAPS like JAPS: It's their existential comfort zone. And it's easier than opening themselves up...
Every Sunday, he goes to Mass with his family and takes confession, tidily absolved for wanking and sex out of wedlock. But autopilot absolution gives him no impetus to change, and when he does, his God (via his priest) is indifferent. In Don Jon, religion doesn't simply allow you to function with your eyes and heart closed - it benefits from tunnel vision. It's another form of masturbation."
The San Jose Mercury called "Don Jon" a "dark comedy" commenting on an "unrealistic" view on love:
"As writer and director, Gordon-Levitt succeeds in shaping a message about two colliding views of romance that are shaped by distinctly different media and cultural notions. He and his crew also show an exacting flair for detail, from the clothing and jewelry to the interiors of homes.
"Best of all, he's not afraid to take risks, and 'Don Jon' gives us a doozy near the end. It pays off, bringing heft and cohesiveness to his overall theme."
The LA Weekly said Gordon-Levitt's writing/directing is "impressive:"
"Jon's Italian-American family is played by a killer triumvirate of Tony Danza, Glenne Headly and Brie Larson: They're stereotypes with beating hearts. Johansson is marvelous - her Jersey-girl diction is as precise as her character's guided-missile approach to courtship and marriage. And Moore, whose role at first seems thinly sketched, becomes the spirit of the movie: As Esther, she changes the story's course not so much with words or action but with a vibe. She underplays, as usual, and she's mighty like a rose.
"Gordon-Levitt may be the movie's star, but he doesn't direct himself as its center. He uses his character as a kind of human flashlight, casting his beam on the people around him before looking inward. He plays Jon as egotistical, preening and, until the end, anything but sensual - he's ridiculous at first, a stylized man-panther who needs to dictate all the steps. Eventually, though, he gets the hang of what it means to be a dance partner."
