Don Jon

     It's not a common occurrence for a single person to be the Director, writer, and star of their own film. When this rare phenomena takes place, the results are unpredictable. In the case of Don Jon (Rated R), Joseph Gordon-Levitt shines in all areas.
     The film takes place in New Jersey and follows the sexual adventures of Jon Martello (Levitt). During the course of the film we experience life as Don Jon does. Levitt is blunt and brutally honest with his character's misguided realities. Things change drastically after he meets the vivacious Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson). As the cracks in  life begin to take the toll on his various relationships, meets a potential guiding force in the troubled Esther (Julianne Moore). 

     While Don Jon is overwhelmingly raunchy, and explicit with the subject of Martello's libido, it serves a very important purpose...reality. From his faith, to his friends, to his awkward Jersey Shore family, we pleasantly experience Don Jon in a relatable manner. The laughable, intoxicating, oft-times difficult to watch reality of Don Jon's life is what separates this artistic film from traditional sex romp comedies. There is nothing over-the-top about the film or any of it's characters. Whether you frown at the behaviors depicted or disagree with the ambivalent treatment of religion; the single fact remains that it is a reality for a great many men (and women) in our modern American society. The norms of our predecessors are no more than meager ideologies.  Moreover, the film combines film editing techniques that are uncommon in today's box office driven Hollywood. I highly recommend this film to anyone who has an open-mind and most importantly a sex life. 

Rating 4 (Maximum of 5) - for sheer audacity and attention to detail.

Looper

     In my triumphant return to writing, I am briefly discussing sci-fi/action film Looper. Since February, I have been vexed by the vicarious vicissitudes of fate. Now that things have calmed down, I will resume doing what I love most...watching and critiquing movies. Without further adieu, here is a brief synopsis of Film District's Looper.
     Fate, providence, predestination, consequence, future, and death are all themes in Looper, a time traveling action epic starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt. Looper, takes place in the not so distant year of 2074. It is a society where one can work as an assassin for mob syndicates that send victims 30 years back in time for execution. These "assassins" are known as loopers. Loopers lead a relatively easy life as long as they kill each mark put in front of them. The job continues until they assassinate their future selves. Upon completion of this inevitable task, the "loop" is closed. Effectively closing all loose ends that tie these assasins to their emloyers. This is where the problem begins...
     Looper begins with a brief glimpse into the life and addictions of Joe (Gordon-Levitt), a looper whose future will bring drastic changes to his present. Once this change occurs, we are violently introduced to future Joe (Bruce Willis). A man with his own set of memories and life history that are about to be disrupted by the consequences of time travel. From this point forward the film takes a jarring turn towards rapid story progression, time-paradoxes, and stylized action of the likes we have not seen since Die Hard With A Vengeance. As a bonus, Sara (Blunt) provides an interesting turn of events that will undoubtedly lead to many conversations with friends on the laws of astrophysics, time travel, and evolution.
     What happens when your future and past intersect? What happens to the past that you remembered before the time/space continuum was corrupted? How do you alter the future without knowing that your actions are the cause of the problem you are trying to solve? These questions are just a few of the conversation starters that will make this movie a must-see-event for years to come. All in all, Looper provides a gripping tale of the consequences of a person's actions and delivers it on a special effects driven platter ensconced in breathtaking brutality that we have not in any film this year. A superb effort from director and writer Rian Johnson, a film that should not be missed.

Rating: 5 Stars (Maximum of 5) - Brutality, science, and masterful storytelling combine in Looper, the best action film of 2012.