Don't Judge a Film Before You See It: Don Jon

 

   Joseph Gordon-Levitt's new film not only stars himself, but he's also the writer and director. The subject material is certainly one that would turn many people off, but it's more than what it appears to be. Rather than a comedy involving a man's addiction to porn, yes porn, and the jokes that can be made off of it, it's about how to overcome it.

   The first half of the film is in fact what the trailers show it to be, an extremely raunchy comedy that never lets up, well at least until the halfway point. The difference however is that this film’s plot becomes more involving as it goes on, something along the lines of Knocked Up, rather than Pineapple Express or 21 Jump Street. The meaning of love is actually the whole point of the film. It’s realistic love too, not just finding that one girl with the great body. JGL takes risks with where this film ends up, but it’s payoff is extremely satisfying. He drew in “idiots” by actually advertising his film on porn sites, got couples who wanted something different than the most recent Nicholas Sparks film, and reeled in buffs, as myself, who wanted to see the potential of the kid from 3rd Rock From the Sun. Why was this crowd of people attracted? He wanted to try to get everyone he could to see what love truly is and isn’t. An extremely gutsy move, but as I could tell, it paid off, for there were many people in the theater saying all sorts of things. Never in my lifetime would I have believed that I would walk out of a theater similar to the way I left my room when Harold and Maude ended, but JGL’s debut did it. I can’t wait until his next film.