Review: 'Joy' - Getting it Done and Getting On With It

Joy

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Dianne Ladd, Robert DeNiro, Isabella Rosselini, Bradley Cooper
Directed and Written by: David O. Russell
124 minutes  M

Do you ever wonder why some people manage to plough on in life against all difficulties while others crumble, give up and just find another way to get through life? Sometimes the barriers we are up against are self-imposed, some are the ‘noisy detractors’ around us who we listen to far too eagerly and we believe their negativity and then other barriers can be simply what life throws us that we can’t do much about.

‘Joy’ tells us the story of one woman who had a fair bit going against her who eventually finds a way through an out of despair and staying ‘stuck’. She is a single mum although her ex-husband still lives in the basement of the house she also shares with her mother (bed bound and TV Soap Opera obsessed) and her grandmother. As if that isn’t hectic enough in moves dad (Robert De Niro) after being off loaded by his latest wife.

Joy has an inventive and imaginative mind and eventually comes up with the concept of what we now know as the ‘miracle mop’. The thrust of the movie is how she gets to make it a product that people will buy. This won’t be an easy journey as you might expect – where would be the movie in that after all. A house full of underminers is enough to contend with but lack of ready money, no concept of business and a lifetime of knockbacks is a lot to overcome.

David O Russell is a director who makes quirky and memorable movies and this is no exception. He also wrote this film based on Joy Mangano’s real life story. It is told with great humour and with just the right amount of pathos. Jennifer Lawrence again turns in a convincing performance in the lead role and more than holds her own against veterans such as DeNiro, Dianne Ladd, Bradley Cooper and the mesmerising Isabella Rossellini. JLaw is comfortable and competent with comedy and drama, she is one of the talents of our time and hopefully we have many years of entertainment and ‘wow’ ahead of us through seeing her movies.

Finding out a little about how TV shopping networks and the evolution of infomercials came about was a fascinating addition to the story. Bradley Cooper gives a finely focussed performance as the QVC exec who believes in Joy when all his business acumen tells him not to. Oh sure he takes some convincing but he is won over by her determination and plain logic. Also a cameo featuring Melissa Rivers as her mother (and shopping channel ‘star’) Joan Rivers was a sheer delight.

This is an uplifting film that reassures all of us that a belief in yourself and a ‘knowing’ that you are right are the best advocates awe can have for changing dreams into reality. I think the final scenes are a tad clichéd and too much but that’s a minor quibble in a lovely, inspiring, well made and bloody good film.
3 ½ out of 5