Review of Joy (2015) by Kevin P — 30 Nov 2018

Strengths: The combination of David O. Russell, Jennifer Lawrence (Joy Mangano), and Bradley Cooper (Neil Walker) is usually a recipe for success. The two films theyâ(TM)ve collaborated on in the past all worked. Again, it mostly connected. Lawrence performs at her best with Russell and sheâ(TM)s the highlight here. She takes the lead role and runs with it, earning the hell out of that Best Actress nomination. She steals every scene sheâ(TM)s in. Edgar Ramirez (Tony Miranne) is strong, as are Robert De Niro (Rudy Mangano) and Dascha Polanco (Jackie). The film delivers on the inspiring front, delivering more than a few moments where youâ(TM)ll be motivated to get up and do something like Joy. I also found the relationship between Joy and her grandmother, a very good Diane Ladd (Mimi) to be well handled. When she eventually passes away, itâ(TM)s a sad moment.

Weaknesses: While all the acting is solid, I do feel that Cooper was underutilized. Like Lawrence, he excels with Russell but he wasnâ(TM)t given a lot to do here. He only had three or four scenes that meant anything and didnâ(TM)t get a chance to shine. As the movie goes on, it loses steam. I donâ(TM)t know if it was diminishing returns on Joyâ(TM)s struggles or what, but something doesnâ(TM)t fully click and I ended up losing interest late. I was more interested in when it would end than how we would get there.

Overall: The narrative ultimately isnâ(TM)t great, but the performances by a strong cast more than make up for it. They turn this into a good movie.