3. He Understands Editing
Piggybacking on my intro to the previous entry, film has so many different ways to convey story that many directors don't use the medium to its fullest potential. JGL doesn't let the medium go to waste, and in particular shows a keen hand when it comes to editing. This partially overlaps with the "setup-payoff" entry, but is also broad enough to warrant a separate list spot. There is a lot of flashy editing that begins early and often in Don Jon, but it never becomes distracting or out of touch with its main character. One of the strongest rapid editing sequences comes when Jon sits down to eat with his girlfriend Barbara. At this point, he's become pretty well whipped by his subtly manipulative girlfriend, and he's been forced to go to great lengths to hide his porn addiction. As she prattles on about things that she wants from him, he stares blankly ahead, while brief clips of pornography flash on screen. These are his thoughts - the things that he wants but can't have thanks to his relationship. Again, this is a simple technique that should seem obvious, but many do not excel at.