Review of Joy (2015) by Amy-Lauren B — 09 Aug 2016

The latest O. Russell, Lawrence and Cooper team up is the adapted true story of businesswomen Joy Mangano. Joy (Lawrence) has a life full of people to take care of: two young children, an ex-husband who lives in her basement, an unstable agoraphobic mother, a gloating step-sister, and an overbearing father (De Niro) whose string of girlfriends never lasts for long. Dissatisfied by her clerks job and exhausted by her family responsibilities, Joy aspires to do more. To make more of her life. With a dream, an idea and the blessing of her grandmother and best friend Jackie, she tackles her way into the business word with her invention, the Miracle Mop. What follows is the story of a women in a 'mans world' - negotiating business loans, creating relationships with suppliers, securing patents for her designs, and the fast moving world of the QVC network.

The feminist nature of the Joy's story demands a capable female lead, which Jennifer Lawrence supplies in spades. It's kind of a moot point, given that she's fantastic in everything she's a part of. She adapts to all her supporting players with apparent ease, including Robert De Niro. Her central performance is by far the outstanding feature of Joy - it's what you'll remember afterwards.

The story is a bit of a slow-burner most of the time. There are slightly experimental elements in the form of dream sequences, to contrast the routine and traditional aspects of Joy's life. And there is a tension to the story that builds as Joy tackles adversity in its different forms. I felt the anger and sadness along with her. But if I'm honest, its slightly forgettable in comparison to the other movies released at the moment. Given that it's award season after all, that probably says more about it's competitors than the film itself. I'll remember Lawrence and the films greater meaning, but I doubt that it's the O. Russell film I'll gravitate towards in the future.