‘Don Jon’ (R, 90 minutes, Fox): Joseph Gordon-Levitt, in his feature-length writing and directorial debut, stars as Jon, a New Jersey bartender who has no trouble bedding ladies but prefers pornography. This disarming film proves Gordon-Levitt’s deftness both behind the camera and in front of a computer screen, writing, and gives Scarlett Johansson a star turn as Jon’s foil Barbara. The movie starts as a raunch-fest, reveling in crass language and frank discussions about the relative merits of computer-generated ecstasy over the old-fashioned kind. But somewhere along the way, the comedy seamlessly morphs into an incisive satire and, finally, an extremely affecting story about the value of intimacy between two real people – not actors, not avatars. Tony Danza and Glenne Headly are wonderful as Jon’s loud, sports-obsessed father and his oppressive mother who yearns to be a grandma. Contains strong graphic sexual material and dialogue throughout, nudity, strong language and drug use. Extras include HitRECord shorts ‘My Favorite Things: Request Video,’ ‘My Favorite Things Remix: Film Preservation,’ ‘Love of Objects’ and ‘Vinegar.’ Also, on Blu-ray: a making-of and other featurettes.
‘Last Love’ (unrated, 155 minutes, Image Entertainment): Oscar-winning actor Michael Caine plays Matthew Morgan, a retired professor played who is trying to overcome the death of his wife. After three years as a loner, this American in Paris befriends Pauline, a young, French dance instructor (Clemence Poesy, ‘In Bruges’) who struggles with her own past troubles. The drama takes a somewhat oddly comedic turn with the arrival of the widower’s adult children, played by Justin Kirk and Gillian Anderson. Extras include deleted scenes and outtakes.
Also: ‘CBGB’ (Alan Rickman is Hilly Kristal in this biopic centering on the famous New York punk-rock nightclub), ‘Freedom Force’ (animated sci-fi adventure), ‘Love, Marilyn’ (HBO documentary), ‘Sweetwater,’ ‘Sanitarium,’ ‘Shaolin Warrior’ (2011, China), ‘Ritual,’ ‘Zombie Hamlet’ and ‘Cassadaga.’
TV series: ‘Wolfblood: Season 1’ (Disney channel).
Washington Post staff writer Kay Coyte contributed to this report
