Don Jon

Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Tony Danza, Glenne Headly, Brie Larson, Rob Brown

Director: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Addicted to internet porn, Jon (Gordon-Levitt), a New Jersey lad's lad in his late twenties, enjoys conventional sex too, with girls he picks up at discos - but only if they're an 'eight' or more - though it isn't the same.

Meanwhile, his less buff friends make do with what's left at the clubs. As one puts it: 'Twos and threes are some open-minded ladies.'

A devout Catholic, Jon confesses all his sins at mass, and is rewarded with the appropriate amount of Hail Marys. But then he meets the girl of his dreams, Barbara Sugarman (Johansson), a tease who keeps him at arm's length for a month: Jon falls headlong in love. Even his football-obsessed, vest-wearing father (Danza) pays attention when the boobilicious Barbara shows up for dinner.

Only trouble is: even when he gets Barbara into the sack, Jon still can't give up his porn. It will prove both his downfall and maybe his salvation when he's dumped by Barbara and meets a sad widow (Moore), still grieving the loss of her husband and son.

Frequently funny and sharply, speedily directed by its star, the film is finally unsatisfactory. What future does Jon have with a woman nearly twice his age, especially as their relationship is less convincing than the one with Johansson, who gives one of her best performances as the control-freak Barbara?

Still, Danza and Headly are a riot as Jon's parents and, if like Jon, the film doesn't quite know where it's going, it's pretty entertaining along the way. Gordon-Levitt and Johansson have their characters' 'Joizey' accents off pat.

David Quinlan

USA 2013. UK Distributor: Warner Brothers. Colour by FotoKem.
90 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 18.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 3, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 1, Swearing 3.

Review date: 11 Nov 2013