Don Jon's Addiction (18)

Directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt

4 Stars

The steamy issue of porn addiction seems an ambitious topic to tackle as a first time writer-director but Joseph Gordon-Levitt manages to pull it off adroitly and with poignant humour.

In a hilarious opening sexual montage we are introduced to Don Jon (Gordon-Levitt), a young stud who has no problem pulling women but finds jerking off in front of his laptop while watching internet porn more satisfying.  

It is the only way he can lose himself and when he can't help but jump out of bed, with his latest conquest still in it, to dabble in his favourite pastime you know he has a serious problem.

Yet he meets his match when he encounters the stunning Barbara, played superbly by Scarlett Johansson, who is just as obsessed with naff Hollywood rom coms and the romantic myths they perpetuate as he is with porn. She is determined to mould him into her ideal man. 

This is a surprisingly slick and smart comedy about men and women's unrealistic expectations about sex and relationships and it's also an excitingly impressive directorial debut by Gordon-Levitt who shows as much promise behind the camera as he does in front of it. I can't wait to see what he tackles next.

Maria Duarte