Tuesday’s Top Trailer: Don Jon

Welcome to a weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Tuesday's Top Trailer. One of my favorite parts about going to see movies is the series of trailers that airs beforehand and, more often than not, the trailer is far better than the actual film. Each week, I'll be sharing a trailer I've recently seen. Please chime in with comments on what you think of the trailer and how you think the movie is going to be.

Don Jon – Opening September 27, 2013

This is probably the most notable of the high-profile films that I didn’t get a chance to see at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, back when it was still known as “Don Jon’s Addiction.” I had my first opportunity this past weekend to watch the trailer for this drama, and I’m definitely intrigued. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been working hard the past couple of years and developed a formidable reputation for himself, turning in solid genre work in films like “Looper” and “The Dark Knight Rises” while commanding dramatic comedies such as “50/50” and “500 Days of Summer.” Stepping behind the camera to write and direct the story of a man addicted to porn who finds his obsession bleeding into his new relationship is definitely appealing. This looks like an infinitely lighter and brighter version of “Shame” with an equally magnetic actor at its center. What’s most surprising about the trailer is that Scarlett Johansson appears to be putting effort into her performance, throwing on an accent and some enthusiasm to portray something other than the undeniably alluring yet inarguably uncreative archetype she has developed for herself. The film should have plenty to say on society and the nature of romance and relationships, but it looks like to be a stunning cinematic feat as well, embracing the transformative power of the moving image. This is sure to be one of the big films of the fall, and a positive step forward in the careers of its two stars.