Don Jon (2013)
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A man struggling with a porn addiction seeks genuine connection and intimacy in his personal life.
The story
Jon Martello is a young Italian-American bartender in New Jersey who leads an independent life but struggles with a severe porn addiction that skews his perception of reality. When he meets Barbara Sugarman, a woman from an affluent background, he attempts to build a serious relationship with her. However, his internal conflict between his habitual consumption of pornography and his desire for a real connection creates significant tension as he navigates the complexities of modern dating and his own internal habits.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Jon Martello, a man in New Jersey, lives a life of routine and isolation, heavily influenced by a porn addiction that he admits makes his daily life feel interrupted by flashbacks. He meets Barbara Sugarman and enters a relationship where she pushes him toward a more conventional life. Despite their growing bond, Jon's secret habit remains a point of contention. After a falling out with Barbara over his porn use, Jon becomes increasingly withdrawn until he meets Esther, a classmate. Esther challenges his perspective on porn and his lack of emotional connection with partners. After a period of intimacy and shared vulnerability, Jon realizes the difference between his previous connections and his new one with Esther. He eventually reconciles with his family and realizes that while Barbara's demands were unattainable, his new relationship with Esther is based on genuine connection. The film ends with Jon and Esther beginning a relationship where they find true intimacy together.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 90
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt
- Writers
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt · writer
- Cast and characters
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt · Jon Martello; Scarlett Johansson · Barbara Sugarman; Julianne Moore · Esther; Rob Brown; Glenne Headly; Brie Larson; Tony Danza
- Genres
- romantic comedy-drama; sex comedy-drama
- Themes
- pornography; sexual addiction; grief; atonement
- Tone and mood
- romantic; serious
- Premise and plot tags
- independent; sex comedy-drama; romance
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics and was well-received at the Sundance Film Festival.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 80% · review count: 202; Rotten Tomatoes · score: 6.8 · scale: 10; Metacritic · score: 66 · scale: 100 · review count: 41
- Production trivia
- The film was inspired by the Don Juan legend.; The film was shot in both New Jersey and Los Angeles.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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