Review of Don Jon (2013) by Anthony I — 21 Jun 2014

For a movie that touts itself as a romantic comedy, it really isn't very funny. The most amusing scenes were when Jon was angrily flipping out at other drivers on the road, or singing loudly to Marky Mark's "Good Vibrations". I mean, who doesn't sing along with that song?

There was a message in here both about hypersexuality on television, and about how media portrayals can warp our expectations about relationships with people. Jon is addicted to porn and finds he enjoys it much more than actual sex. He is never satisfied with what's in front of him, though he lies to himself to convince himself otherwise. I think there's truth to this because I have heard how porn addiction has ruined peoples' relationships and messed up some guys' ideas/expectations about sex.

However, there's something in here for the ladies too, lest we think we've escaped unscathed from the film's commentary. Scarlett Johansson's character, Barbara, has her own issues. While she demonizes Jon for his addiction, she's obsessed with romantic comedies. Her idea of true love is Jon giving up everything that is him just for her. The most telling part of this is when they are in a hardware store and get into an argument about Jon cleaning his own apartment instead of having someone else do it for him. She repeatedly tries to control aspects of his life and tailor Jon to be exactly who she wants.

The movie wasn't really what I expected it to be. I hadn't really read much about it. But I found it engaging, and even sweet and charming at some points (particularly Jon's relationship with Esther.) It was a good one. Worth a watch.