Don Jon
Relativity Media | Release Date: September 27, 2013
6.9
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 364 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
245
Mixed:
90
Negative:
29
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
4
Trev29Dec 26, 2013
Despite moments that were amusing, this is a pretty stupid movie. I find it strange that Gordon-Levitt would choose to direct a movie like this for his directorial debut. Neither funny nor dramatic.
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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6
BHBarryNov 1, 2013
“Don Jon” is an ambitious but unfortunately unsuccessful effort by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt to expand his talents and capabilities by assuming the role of both writer and director in addition to playing the lead character. This is a film“Don Jon” is an ambitious but unfortunately unsuccessful effort by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt to expand his talents and capabilities by assuming the role of both writer and director in addition to playing the lead character. This is a film about an otherwise normal middle class guy who is addicted to watching porn on the internet and how it impacts and affects his other relationships. The film also stars Scarlett Johannson and Juliana Moore and a miscast Tony Danza as these actors struggle to make sense of this thin script and average direction, What could have been an interesting and insightful excursion into the mind and attitude of a porn addict becomes nothing more than a light overview of this potentially thought provoking subject. I give the filma 6 and suggest that if something else is playing at the same time you are going to attend the movie, see the other film.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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4
BairdoJun 3, 2014
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really struggled to get through this one. If a douche bag is going to be at the center of a film, then he should be at least mildly amusing. I was not even mildly amused by Gordon-Levitt's douche bag, and frankly, after seeing Don Jon (which he also wrote) and some of his other movies (the awful Premium Rush, etc.), I'm starting to think that HE'S the douche bag.
The title should have been...Porn Addicted Gym Rat Meets Lonely 40-something with Dead Family and They Fall In Love....But Only After He Gets **** Whipped By Scarlett Doing Her Best Snookie.
Good to see Tony Danza!… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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4
TaplingerFeb 2, 2014
Boy oh boy, I don't get it - I love sex, Gordon-Levitt, Johansson, Moore, like porn, and this movie did nothing for me. It not only has no substance, but it's last-ditch attempt to seriously address porn addiction is superficial. "I want toBoy oh boy, I don't get it - I love sex, Gordon-Levitt, Johansson, Moore, like porn, and this movie did nothing for me. It not only has no substance, but it's last-ditch attempt to seriously address porn addiction is superficial. "I want to lose myself in sex," say Jon, but what does that mean? Maybe he knows, maybe porn addicts know, I certainly didn't learn anything from this movie except Jon like porn, Johansson is beautiful but dumb, and Moore is beautiful and wise.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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6
TokyochuchuSep 8, 2014
Don Jon is a nice, frothy, easy to watch flick about, uh, porn addiction. There were a few decent character twists and the easy charm of Gorden-Levitt cannot be faulted here. I also like that porn isn't treated like the devil but far moreDon Jon is a nice, frothy, easy to watch flick about, uh, porn addiction. There were a few decent character twists and the easy charm of Gorden-Levitt cannot be faulted here. I also like that porn isn't treated like the devil but far more honestly. That said, a little more depth and a slightly less pat ending would have made Don Jon a bit more satisfying.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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4
ydnar4Nov 21, 2014
I'm not really a Joseph Gordon-Levitt fan to begin with so why I watched this movie I don't know. The movie was fairly enjoyable at the first. I didn't care for Gordon-Levitt's cocky character but the film at least kept my attention. ItI'm not really a Joseph Gordon-Levitt fan to begin with so why I watched this movie I don't know. The movie was fairly enjoyable at the first. I didn't care for Gordon-Levitt's cocky character but the film at least kept my attention. It seemed like this film was only good at the first because Scarlett Johansson saved it. As soon as Johansson left I lost my interest. The last thirty minutes were just brutal and it felt a lot longer than it actually was. If you aren't a Levitt fan don't bother with Don Jon.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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5
peacefireSep 27, 2013
I honestly couldn't tell if I was watching a bad softcore porno or jersey shore. There were some laughs, but most of it was just watching some guys hit on girls and curse/bust each others balls, jacking off to porn, working out, and prayingI honestly couldn't tell if I was watching a bad softcore porno or jersey shore. There were some laughs, but most of it was just watching some guys hit on girls and curse/bust each others balls, jacking off to porn, working out, and praying forgiveness for his sins. There were some laughs, and some serious notes about porn addiction, but other than that the movie was very meh. Worth seeing if you like Jersey Shore, otherwise maybe a visit to the red box (or alternative sources of movies)… Expand
3 of 4 users found this helpful31
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6
johncbeattieOct 5, 2013
Light treatment of a serious problem for too many men. Intimacy with women versus sex with women who have been objectified as sex objects by all forms of media. One benefit of this movie may be a better understanding that, given men'sLight treatment of a serious problem for too many men. Intimacy with women versus sex with women who have been objectified as sex objects by all forms of media. One benefit of this movie may be a better understanding that, given men's attitudes towards women as sex objects, that women shouldn't take it so seriously and personally if their man watches "some" porn. It's early, learned behaviour and as long as it doesn't become an obsession as it does to Don Jon, it's relatively meaningless.
I thought the dialogue and relationship Don Jon had with Julianne Moore's character was artificial and hard to swallow as real, although it was key to the story.

Worth seeing but could open a can of worms as a date movie. Drive with caution.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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5
LowbrowCinemaOct 12, 2013
If you've seen the trailer for DON JON, then you've seen the film. In fact, the trailer is far better edited and paced than this first from the ever likable Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The comedy in DON JON never takes off and the film's moreIf you've seen the trailer for DON JON, then you've seen the film. In fact, the trailer is far better edited and paced than this first from the ever likable Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The comedy in DON JON never takes off and the film's more serious examination of porn obsession never takes off. The actors are all good but Scarlett Johansson totally commands the screen. Her character is gorgeous and awful but you just want her to come back. Ultimately, DON JON feels like a short film stretched to 90 minutes. But Gordon-Levitt clearly has a voice and this is his first.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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6
csw12Dec 20, 2013
The movie is somewhat repetitive and clearly way over the top, but Gordon Levitt does a solid job with his directing debut. The first hour was written pretty well but then the miscast of Juliana Moore deflates the film completely.
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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6
LynJan 28, 2014
Hard for most of us to imagine a guy who likes the fake sex of porn better than real sex with a woman. But it's an interesting issue, especially with porn proliferating everywhere. "Don Jon's" experience is a cautionary tale that you'd kindHard for most of us to imagine a guy who likes the fake sex of porn better than real sex with a woman. But it's an interesting issue, especially with porn proliferating everywhere. "Don Jon's" experience is a cautionary tale that you'd kind of like your teenage son to learn -- though perhaps not from this racy film! While Joseph G-L doesn't appeal to me, I've taken him seriously since the gravitas he showed in "The Dark Knight Rises." In this movie, I don't quite buy him as a super-successful Jersey Shore-type Lothario (Travolta he's not) but I really like where he goes with Jon's story. And Tony Danza; Hilarious!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
drlowdonJul 31, 2014
Jon Martello has earned himself the nickname ‘Don Jon’ amongst his buddies due to his ability to pick up virtually any woman he wants, unfortunately for him he gets more pleasure from watching porn than he does with any of the women he takesJon Martello has earned himself the nickname ‘Don Jon’ amongst his buddies due to his ability to pick up virtually any woman he wants, unfortunately for him he gets more pleasure from watching porn than he does with any of the women he takes home. One night he meets the stunning Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) and, having at first failed to go home with her, soon finds himself falling in love. Could she finally be the one to live up to his expectations?

The writing and directorial debut of Joseph Gordon-Levitt Don Jon is slickly put together and certainly makes some interesting points about the way people’s expectations can warped by modern media, even if they are perhaps slightly exaggerated. The cast, including Gordon-Levitt, Johansson and the always reliable Julianne Moore are excellent throughout helping to keep things grounded.

Despite these positives I did find that Don Jon made for a rather uncomfortable watch on a number of occasions (how many scenes do we need to see of someone masturbating?) and Don Jon doesn’t come across as a sympathetic, particularly early in the movie, making it difficult to really root for him. The ending also seems a little too rushed and neat to make for a truly satisfying climax to the story.

Don Jon mat not be complete success but it is a promising start to Gordon-Levitt’s career behind the camera that, at the very least, shows he is willing to make movies that veer away from the mainstream.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
ClariseSamuelsAug 20, 2014
As a native of northern New Jersey who grew up with many Italian working-class friends, I strongly resented the unnaturally thick Jersey accent as portrayed by Scarlett Johansson in her role as Barbara Sugarman. Sugarman is a Jewish name, asAs a native of northern New Jersey who grew up with many Italian working-class friends, I strongly resented the unnaturally thick Jersey accent as portrayed by Scarlett Johansson in her role as Barbara Sugarman. Sugarman is a Jewish name, as noted by the parents of Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) when he brings her home and introduces her to his Italian-American family, although in one scene Johansson sports a crucifix around her neck, so that detail was either a mistake or she was supposed to have had a Christian mother and a Jewish father. In any case, the film was directed and written by Gordon-Levitt, who is admittedly showing signs of youthful genius (but not necessarily in this film); however, Gordon-Levitt was born in Los Angeles, and like a lot of Hollywood actors and directors who did not grow up in industrialized northern New Jersey, his concept of a primitive, uncultured working class in New Jersey, especially of Italian origin, is highly exaggerated and misconceived. Yes, Ol' Blue Eyes came from Hoboken, and it is there that you will find the thickest so-called “Joisey” accent, but that is because of Hoboken's proximity to New York City, which is standing right there on the opposite shore of the Hudson. Indeed, that accent originates from the depths of Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. It affects parts of New Jersey by association only. The erroneous concept that this accent originated in New Jersey goes hand-in-hand with the Hollywood belief that New Jersey is the cultural pits of the planet.

For the record, I have never met a New Jerseyan who talks like that. As noted, it is only in limited parts of North and Central Jersey where the New York City dialect is spoken. The majority of the state can be found speaking the Philadelphia region dialect, where the word “Joisey” is unheard of. And certainly, Barbara Sugarman, who is shown to have been raised in a semi-affluent middle-class environment, would not have been speaking such a thick brogue. When Hollywood gets it wrong, they go over the top, and they love to go with the cliches.

My next objection is the subject matter of the film, which again, stresses the primitive, if not positively elemental, level of culture that is presumed to exist in the State of New Jersey. (Remember Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler? Also, over the top with its depiction of working-class New Jersey.) Jon Martello is not only mindlessly promiscuous to the point where dogs in the street are more discriminating than he is, but he is addicted to pornography and prefers pornography to genuine relations with real women. He watches pornography relentlessly, masturbates fiendishly, and confesses everything to the priest at his local church, where he then dutifully recites the number of Hail Mary's and Lord's Prayers he has to say to atone for his sins. (The number usually varies with the number of times he watched porn movies or had sex out of wedlock.) Just when Martello and Sugarman are becoming almost unbearably tedious, a breath of fresh air arrives in the form of Esther (Julianne Moore), who proceeds to lend some dignity and depth to the scenario. She is a much older woman for Jon Martello, characterized by the grief that she experienced in her recent past, which makes her extremely open and emotionally vulnerable but with a unique charm, a sort of latter-day Annie Hall. She is easy-going and forgiving, but also a wellspring of wisdom, and it is only through a rather odd coupling with her that Martello becomes humanized and stops acting like a beast gone mad in the woodlands.

Moore almost saves the film, but the cartoonish characterizations that precede her entrance unfortunately predominate. Director/screenwriter Gordon-Levitt is still young, and he will have to work a little harder to do a truly sensitive film the next time around.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
ROFLoomSep 30, 2013
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. For his first film, JGL did not do awful... it started off alright, it had its funny moments, you go through Don Jon's daily routines and see how they slowly change over the period he dates Barbara... pretty obvious analysis, but come one what was with Julianne Moore, I guess she was just the first person he truly connected with? And then he randomly just re-introduced her at the end so abruptly... just not the most amazing movie I have seen in awhile. What is happening to Cinema?… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
wisertimeApr 24, 2015
Shame was better.

If you want to see a more realistic depiction of sex addiction, watch shame. A better overall production/acting/cinematography. This movie was just so so. As bad as the trailer. JGL is not my cup of tea. HisShame was better.

If you want to see a more realistic depiction of sex addiction, watch shame. A better overall production/acting/cinematography.

This movie was just so so. As bad as the trailer. JGL is not my cup of tea. His acting/looks were cringeworthy most of the time. We're supposed to believe this pencil neck, wife-beater wearing guy can pick up and draw attention of limitless hot women and easily turn them down for sex too. Most of the characters are shallow and cliche. Overacting at it's worst. Characters not sympathetic.

Girl picks guy up at a night club. Guy immediately wants to **** her, she leaves. Guy takes her to lunch says he wants to **** her. Finally gets to **** her, but then she is appalled that he watches porn? Makes him promise never to watch it again (year right!)...he lies...she breaks up with him over it....cmon. A 10 yr old would have written garbage like that. Characters were all unlikeable, other than the black friend and the Red head. Not a very deep movie. Not funny either (some claim it's comedy). Tony Danza's character was annoying as **** Maybe Jersey boys would relate to these douchebags. I did not.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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