Relationships are complicated. And we don’t make things any easier on ourselves with selfishness and fantasy. Daydreams and popular entertainment, impossible ideals and overwhelming societal expectations — these are the things we do to keep ourselves confused and unhappy. You know, the usual. People and all that. We try to find anchors and rituals to keep things steady, and lie steadily to our own reflections that sacrifices of ourselves are worth the illusory goal of the “perfect” relationship. In reality, of course, nothing is perfect. But sometimes what we have isn’t that bad.

Don Jon is the writing and directorial debut of Joesph Gordon-Levitt, who was in quite a few movies last year and many more in years prior. He’s actually shown acting range and talent with very different sorts of characters over the years, and now apparently he can also write and direct movies. A bit unfair, really.  But the movie … it’s pretty great. The story is about Jon (played by JGL), a bit of a ladies man with a strong New Jersey accent and an unusual problem. Sure, he loves his family and takes great pride is his religious devotion, classic car, and his own apartment. He’s never had any issues getting a lady — but afterwards it’s always … empty. So Jon turns to porn. Over and over and over again. You might say he has a bit of an addiction. And his parents (Tony Danza and Glenne Headly) despair of him ever finding a long term girlfriend. Until he meets Barbara.

Who is played by Scarlett Johansson.

Barbara has her own thoughts and assumptions on relationships, influenced by years of terrible, sappy romantic movies. But the two certainly are attracted to each other, so why not give it a shot? Jon seems to have it pretty good — but it’s unlikely his new girlfriend will enjoy his little … habits. This movie likes to play around with the romantic comedy angle, including a hilarious short parody with cameos I will not spoil. The movie is, in short, funny, heartwarming, deep, and extremely enjoyable. It’s remarkably raunchy and profane in an honest way, by which I mean it seems like this is how people talk, instead of the movie using profanity or nudity as punch lines. Cliches are introduced that are rife with hidden depths, like a father that seems simplistic but hides secrets to Jon’s behavior in subtle ways, or a strange woman (Julianne Moore) who starts out seeming as the classic “Wise Mentor” type but becomes something entirely unexpected.

Acting is great across the board here, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt instantly becoming a charming, charismatic force who is also intriguingly troubled. Scarlett Johansson has some great material here too, playing off on the sexpot expectations with directions you may not see coming. A lot of beautiful people here, that’s for sure. I found it interesting the way Catholic confession was used as a story device to indicate certain levels of progress and delusion simultaneously, while also appreciating that it didn’t seem mean-spirited or ignorant. In the end, nobody is a villain, but nobody is a hero. Everyone is just a flawed human being, some just a bit more wise or experienced than others. And some that probably will never learn. In the end, the lesson is an extremely positive message for healthiness and reasonable expectations in relationships.

There’s an inordinate amount of material to unpack and discuss about this movie, but it all involves too many spoilers, so go watch it and we’ll discuss it later, okay? It’s a promise.

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This offer is no longer valid. Follow @CliqueClack on Twitter for alerts on giveaways, news and reviews.

CliqueClack has partnered with Relativity Media and Allied Integrated Marketing to offer readers in the Baltimore and DC areas a chance to see an advance screening of the new film Don Jon starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, and Tony Danza.

Jon Martello (Gordon-Levitt) is a strong, handsome, good old fashioned guy. His buddies call him Don Jon due to his ability to “pull” a different woman every weekend, but even the finest fling doesn’t compare to the bliss he finds alone in front of the computer watching pornography. Barbara Sugarman (Johansson) is a bright, beautiful, good old-fashioned girl. Raised on romantic Hollywood movies, she’s determined to find her Prince Charming and ride off into the sunset. Wrestling with good old-fashioned expectations of the opposite sex, Jon and Barbara struggle against a media culture full of false fantasies to try and find true intimacy in this unexpected comedy written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Advance screenings will be held on Thursday, September 26 at the following locations (please note times):

• AMC Mazza Gallerie, Washington, DC, 7:00 PM ALL DC PASSES HAVE BEEN CLAIMED
• AMC White Marsh, Baltimore, MD, 8:00 PM

30 pairs of passes will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Each pass has a unique code and can only be used once. Passes will be scanned at the door and any duplicates will be turned away. To get your passes, simply do the following:

• Leave a comment on this post with only the word BALTIMORE or DC. It’s easier for us to determine where you want to see the film without a lot of extra information.
• We will accept ONE comment per person and email address as passes are limited. Passes will be delivered by email, first-come, first-served.
• Multiple comments will be held in reserve if all passes are not claimed by 8:00 PM, Wednesday, September 25.
• The offer will end when all passes have been claimed OR on Thursday, September 26 at Noon.

Have a look at the film’s trailer below, and tell us where you would like to see Don Jon!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A63Ly0Pvpk

Don Jon opens in theaters Friday, September 27th.