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Future Oscar-winner (I've been saying this since 2001's Manic) Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes an auspicious writing/directing debut with Don Jon, a character study of a young New Jersey guy whose addiction to pornography takes its toll on his relationships with women. Gordon-Levitt pumped up to play the title character, but I hope he drops the muscle mass soon -- his head's too small for a body that big! The film is superbly cast. Scarlett Johansson impresses me for the first time ever here, playing a sex-pot who knocks Jon off his feet. Tony Danza and Glenne Headly are great as Jon's parents, and the ever-reliable Julianne Moore is memorable as a quirky but sullen older woman who competes for Jon's affections as the story wears on.

What I applaud most about Don Jon is a provocative notion that compares women’s love of the romance genre to men’s love of pornography. The film has constructive criticism for people who put too much stock in either fare, and (thankfully!) presents its ideas without preaching or moralizing. I agree with Gordon-Levitt’s assessment: Porn and high romance both serve the same purpose — to idealize what the sexes want from each other (it’s a generalization, but I think it’s a fair one). Much has been written, told and exploited about the potential negative effects of pornography on men and their view of women, but I’ve never seen the flip-side of that scenario. In Don Jon, you get a peek (for the first time?) at how the high ideals of romance stories can potentially diminish, dehumanize, and objectify men in the eyes of women.

Don Jon has helped me to further understand why I like so few romantic comedies. It’s basically a deconstruction of the genre, and maybe a slight judgment against it. But I don’t mind letting the ladies sneak a couple of John Cusack movies now and then… so long as us guys can keep our porn, too.