Review of Don Jon (2013) by Peter F — 29 Apr 2014

Joseph Gordon-Levitt shows that he's a very visceral and adventurous filmmaker with his directorial debut, proving that he understands film theory as well as he does story-telling. Very stylized, but in a thematic sense that touches on the message of how our generation's psyche is so altered by the media overload, Don Jon is a fast-paced yet thoughtful picture, although one that doesn't always live up to it's potential.

The dialogue can feel a bit too on-the-nose at parts, and most of the film's performances aren't particularly exemplary (with the exception of Julianne Moore's). These issues do hinder the film a bit, but Don Jon has an especially strong final act, that suggests that perhaps JGL the director was maturing alongside his character.

It'll be interesting to see if this film will influence the visual style for his next directorial effort: an adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Sandman comic book.