In his third consecutive feature starring Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and Robert De Niro, you might watch the trailer for David O’Russell’s Joy and surmise that you’ll be watching Silver Linings Playbook all over again. But while Joy retains many of O’Russell’s notable eccentricities, it deserves to – and does – stand on its own as a wonderful, heart-warming true tale.
Joy tells the story of single mother Joy (Jennifer Lawrence) who still lives with her wannabe singer ex-husband, soap opera obsessed mother, and supportive grandmother. When she finally utilises her creative talents by designing a new product, she risks everything on her mission to manufacture and sell it.
The story may sound like a familiar one, but the route Joy takes in telling it is distinctly unfamiliar. Narrated by Joy’s grandmother Mimi, we are treated to various flashbacks and flashforwards that flesh out the theme of unfulfilled ambition and the passing of generations. From an early age, Joy is told that she will achieve greatness, and she does not know whether she attains it in the future. But what she does come to realise is that it is not for the world to tell her what she will and will not do. If she is to achieve greatness, it will be by her own actions.
These moments seem sporadic, and for some it may have felt like the film had a hard time finding its feet. But for me, they added to the chaotic universe that Joy inhabits, and helped us develop a connection with Joy’s creative, somewhat regretful thought process. As Joy is haunted by these memories, so are we. O’Russell’s touch seems most familiar in the film’s well-realised dream sequences inspired by the soap operas that Joy’s mother adores. They’re a wild, surreal departure from an otherwise grounded narrative that never stray into dangerously silly territory.
At the centre of Joy is the brilliant Jennifer Lawrence, an actress whose powerful range is showcased once again. She sells us completely on the determination required to conquer all those things that want to stop her, whether they be jealous family members, debt, or discrimination against her gender. De Niro also gives a decent, sincere performance, as does Bradley Cooper, even if his character is a little straighter and less memorable than some of his more recent ones.
What I loved about the characters however, is that they occupy that weird O’Russell world best established in 2013’s American Hustle: Just grounded enough to be believable, and quirky enough to be hugely entertaining. Joy’s stay-in-bed mother is the source of some of the film’s more ridiculous moments, but I’d wager that everybody watching could point to a person in their life and draw an eerie comparison between them.
A review of Joy wouldn’t be complete without addressing its feminist message. I personally think it succeeds. Joy battles through corporate men who don’t take her seriously, a family who is completely reliant on her, and most importantly, the expectations laid on her about what she is meant to achieve. Her stamina, will, and grit are greatly inspiring. The film does such a superb job of connecting us to Joy that every up and every down in her journey is intense, and it’s one of the few films of 2015 that I felt reached out and touched me.
As for negatives, I was a little let down by the flatness of Cooper’s character, and some of the other characters were given interesting traits that were immediately forgotten about. Some of the writing bats you over the head with its message, but I can only think of one or two moments where I would have preferred a little more subtlety.
A criticism I’ve seen levelled against Joy is that none of its other characters are likeable. However, this is something I liked about Joy. It’s a classic underdog story about a young woman who continues to fight against a world that seems only to want to put her down. Who couldn’t get on board with that?
Magoo's Reviews 