Director: David O Russell
By Alex Watson
We are unlikely to see a more dysfunctional family than the Mangano's in 2016. Outside of Jennifer Lawrence's awards assured performance, Joy cannot find the spark it needs to ignite. This type of drama by David O Russell has an all too familiar feel to it and unlike his more recent acclaimed efforts, it fails to break new ground. The story of Joy Mangano is an uplifting one but has an undercooked taste and we never truly feel the pain and sacrifice of her journey.
Joy Mangano (Jennifer Lawrence) grew up wanting to be an inventor, but years later she is a divorced mother of two stuck in an unforgiving job and living in her crowded family home. Realizing that she needs to make her own life soon, Joy comes up with an invention that will revolutionize housework- a self-wringing mop. With the market being difficult to crack into, Joy soon finds an unlikely ally in QVC channel executive Neil Walker (Bradley Cooper).
Joy is a movie that is about the determination of spirit and we see her as an imaginative child turned into a cuckolded young woman. Her family is the very description of problematic with her mother Terri (Virginia Madsen) glued to her soap opera's, her ex-husband Tony (Edgar Ramirez) still living in the basement and now her father Rudy (Robert De Niro) has been thrown out by his third wife. Her browbeating and squabbles with this lot feels too drawn out and after a point, it slows the story. Thankfully Russell shows some restraint and keeps the feud from boiling over. There are ventures into a rather bizarre and surreal avenue when Joy imagines her life being like one of her mother's tv shows. All this does, however, is diverted the movie from the path.
From the outset, Joy is a woman struggling to make her own way despite her obvious intelligence and business sense. There is a great story to be found about one of the really smarter innovators, shame is Russell doesn't know how to tell it. Her venture into the world of the home shopping channel is easily the picture's most entertaining. Neil Walker is a charming and encouraging presence and it is during this sequence that he helps inject some hope into affairs. Joy's natural charisma and likability are brought forward effortless during her infomercials. Though things are cringingly awkward and she looks unimpressive compared the better-dressed hosts, the against the clock feel works wonders. Desperate to sell over 50,000 units will her idea prevail?
Unlike the crucial middle segment, Joy is unable to recreate this feel as the movie's latter half deals with the struggles and threat of financial liquidation. Although the movie reaches its desired conclusion or interest has waned by this point. David O Russell has emerged as one of the finer directing talents of recent years, but this picture just doesn't feel like one that tests his ability. This man has a keen eye for the conflict within people and their families. The Mangano's have a love/hate relationship but it takes up too much of the movies prime focus which should be Joy's ascent to business glory.
Jennifer Lawrence is the movie's ace in the pack and through a controlled performance, she brings to life a woman clinging to a scrap of hope. Constantly put down but never beaten, Lawrence is the gutsy heart and soul of the character that continues to surprise. Likely to be a name among many awards lists, this woman is an actress who has already reached A-List status without breaking a sweat. Robert De Niro also deserves credit for a fine supporting turn as Joy's volatile father Rudy. Constantly sporting a look of disbelief, the man is a thorn in her side that can never be removed.
Joy is unlikely to gain much traction at awards shows but is worth seeing simply for the power of Jennifer Lawrence. Russell and co will be back before we know it and probably stronger for the experience.
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