Joseph Gordon Levitt scores a real coup with his directorial debut, Don Juan.
As well as penning the script himself, Levitt plays the lead role, with other noteworthy performances from Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, and Tony Danza (memory aid: the dad from Who's the Boss?).
Set in New Jersey, Italian-American Jon Martello (Levitt) is a modern day Don Juan (see what they did there).
With his sole preoccupations being '?My body, my pad, my ride, my family, my church, my boys, my girls, my porn', Martello leads a shallow life.
Despite admiration from his peers for his thriving casual sex life, he feels unfulfilled by his impassive encounters and coupled with an unhealthy porn addiction, is left yearning for misguided intimacy.
He strikes up a soulless relationship with local bombshell, Barbara Sugarman (Johansson), whose romantic expectations have been heavily shaped by slushy Hollywood movies.
Struggling to meet her Prince Charming ideal, the bartender takes an evening class to better his career prospects.
Here, he encounters the eccentric but compassionate Esther (Moore) and discovers a profound and life-altering bond that teaches him about true intimacy, minus the smut.
An accurate observation on both the dangerous ways in which porn represents sex and Hollywood's distorted portrayal of real love, Don Jon is a refreshing film that will make you genuinely laugh out loud. We loved it.
Don Jon is in cinemas Friday 15th November
