Review of Joy (2015) by Tom G — 22 Jan 2016

This is David O. Russell's third film with nearly an identical cast that, unfortunately, proves to be pretty underwhelming. Yes, the story of Joy Mangano, inventor, mother, and caretaker of her incredibly selfish family, rising above great odds to fulfill her dreams and ultimate destiny is empowering for women everywhere who desire to be more than what our generally sexist society expects from them. That being said, this retelling of the true story of Joy Mangano rarely reaches the heights of inspiration that it so desperately grasps for, leaving it to be more dull than inspiring.

The typically talented cast, most notably Bradley Cooper, do their jobs well including the ever amazing Jennifer Lawrence. However, while Ms. Lawrence continues to impress, her youth is becoming her detriment in rolls that would fair better at the hands of more appropriately aged actresses. Her presence proves to be very distracting as her family ages quite dramatically, and she remains the same save for a new, more mature haircut.

The filmmaking seems a little sloppy, rushed; half of the film is out of focus, something that should not be forgivable under the watchful eyes of a talented and seasoned Director, but the majority of audiences will most likely look past this mistake through squinted eyes. Ultimately, what the audience is given is the promise of a much better film that ends up reading as a made for TV drama which scored a well known director and an A List cast. Perhaps David O. Russell's next film will reflect his true potential, and for his own sake, may "Joy" quietly disappear from our memory.