Is it possible to make the equivalent of a chick flick for dudes?
“Don Jon,” written by, directed and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, may be the first romantic comedy aimed specifically at men. The film had parts that won’t sit well with everyone, but overall, it was original, creative and courageous.
Levitt created a Jersey shore type character that is obsessed with porn, women, his car and his “pad.”
The first half had laughs and the second shared insights into relationships and love.
The things that will attract someone to this movie will be the same things that drive other people away. The film was fearless in showing a male perspective on life, but it does come off as raw sometimes.
The first half of the movie sort of overcompensated to appease the male bravado. There were gratuitous nude scenes and some frank guy-talk, which the guys will appreciate, but girls be warned.
The film might also turn some guys off because it depicts a lifestyle that just isn’t for everybody. Going to the gym and then the club every day might seem shallow to some.
But if viewers stick it through to the end they will find that the movie has its heart in the right place. Like in any good story the main character changes over the course and ends up learning a couple lessons.