Review of Joy (2015) by Tatsuhito K — 25 Sep 2016

This is a very frustrating film to watch. It is frustrating because I personally don't like seeing a good person being screwed over by bad people, even if it's a film. But it is very frustrating because most of Joy's family members are such fuck-ups and I have no patience for people who do stupid things, so watching these ridiculously cartoonish and unlikable characters treating our heroine like a dumb fuck made me furious.

I also think it is all over the place both in terms of tone and story; it is a strange mixture of drama and comedy. It's also a soap opera about her dysfunctional family, and while Jennifer Lawrence is great and the film has really strong production values (directing, cinematography, and production design), ultimately, I was somewhat emotionally detached all the way through.

David O. Russell is one of my favorite filmmakers of all time and I think he's a great director, but "Joy" comes off as more of a disappointment. There are a lot of great things in it, but there are also some really bad and disappointing things in it, too.

Well-made and well-acted, but frustrating and overall a mess.