4 Ways Don Jon Shows Joseph Gordon-Levitt Will Be A Great Filmmaker (And 4 Things He Needs to Fix)

1. He Can Manage Two Vastly Different Tones

Don Jon 2 Although it's not a necessity, many great directors thrive when working on projects that cover multiple conflicting genres. The Coen Brothers are a notable example, making a healthy career out of creating black comedies. Don Jon is a movie that is likely to evoke a multitude of reactions out of audiences. If you're not a prude and can put up with some of the pornographic moments, you'll find them to be an effective complement to the humor present throughout the movie. Still, it's only human to be taken aback when you see pornography outside of the usual setting (the privacy of your own home). JGL needed to balance these uncomfortable moments by deriving some genuine comedy out of them, and for the most part he succeeds. There are a few times the handle gets away from him, but more often than not it works. If he can do a good job keeping this movie in balance, then other genre-bending films should be a breeze. And now, we take a look at the things JGL didn't do so well in his directorial debut. These are all things he can fix in his later projects...
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Nick DeNitto developed a passion for film in high school and has been writing about it ever since. Aside from WhatCulture, he writes for StageBuddy.com and FestivalOfFilms.com/blog. He is affiliated with the National Board of Review.