You’ve never seen a movie like this before.

From the in-your-face smash cuts of soft-core porn and sex scenes to the immaturity and Jersey Shore-like demeanor of the main character, Joseph Gordon Levitt, who also directed, has successfully done something I never thought was possible: he’s crafted a shocking, funny and surprisingly smart coming-of-age tale about a bro becoming a man.

Right after the movie starts off with a (very detailed) description of titular character Jon Martello’s (Levitt) masturbation rituals, we’re subjected to the other priorities of his life including his church, family, boys and “pad.”

But first things first, he’s a ladies’ man with an impressive streak that is initiated in scenes by a genius bass drop and amusing quick cuts. This is the routine for much of the beginning, and he knows he’s missing something, that is, until he meets Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johnsson), who changes his life, but not in the way you first expect.

Levitt manages to weave in quite a bit of feeling and a lot of symbolism into the film that includes a nice parallel between porn and romantic comedies (watch for a certain rom-com mainstay that may just steal the movie). The symbolism, admittedly, can be a little heavy at times and at others can smack you in the face. Despite this, you never feel as though it’s forcing the plot along.

There is a genuine feeling to the characters, and they are, without a doubt, the strongest points of the film. This is certainly the case with the supporting cast of Tony Danza, who evoked the biggest laughs from the audience as Jon’s abrasive father, and Julianne Moore as one of the other students that brings about much of the character development for the immature Jon.

The weak link of the film is Johansson’s character. While she plays the character in a satisfyingly obnoxious way, the character never becomes a redeemable one, and we are left wondering what may come of her.

The film manages to keep the plot unpredictable for most of the way with a few genre twists that throw the audience for a loop. The end leaves you with a decent film with a lot of depth that ends maybe just a little too abruptly.

jdredmon@mavs.coloradomesa.edu