JOY Review

Everyone has a story. Even the woman who invented the miracle mop. In Joy, Jennifer Lawrence is the 1995 version of Joy Mangano as we become privy to the beyond hectic journey it took for this now entrepreneur and titan of industry to become such. In these terms, this is a real rags to riches story and would probably be a very compelling one at that if it were simply left to these devices, but in the hands of director David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle) it has to be more than that-it has to be mythic almost. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with this approach as a unique or different take on any type of material is always appreciated, but Russell's style is especially effective with some stories while not always finding it's rhythm with others. Joy lands somewhere in the middle of this scale as certain aspects of our titular characters life service Russell's frantic style well while other times it seems to be fighting with the tranquility that the film so desperately craves. In a word, the film is relentless. And to a certain extent it should be in order to give audiences a real sense of what this character had to overcome to get to where she is today, but it is always key for journeys such as this to provide moments of calm reflection that, again, help to give audiences a sense of scope. Here, these moments are treated as flurries of flashbacks or mounting issues that are proclaimed one after another in sometimes painfully awkward dialogue. This technique works to a certain extent given there are moments when the relentless clawing and nagging of every supporting character in the movie ceases and something good is actually allowed to happen to Joy without them mingling and messing things up, but these are too few and far between. The real issues arise when it became clear we, as an audience, want to dig deeper into the psyche of our main character than the actual film does. Why does Joy continue to allow her family to pull her down? That Joy, unlike say Russell's The Fighter, never digs into the reasons as to why Joy can't leave these thwarted and painful relationships behind is ultimately what makes the project feel more barren than it wants to be.

New Trailer for JOY Starring Jennifer Lawrence

20th Century Fox has released a second trailer for David O. Russell's (Silving Linings Playbook, American Hustle) third pairing with actors Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper called Joy. The film tells the story of Lawrence's titular character who creates something of her own family dynasty after seemingly being smothered by generations of tradition and pressure to live a certain kind of complacent life. While I wasn't as high on American Hustle as most, Silver Linings Playbook was one of my favorite films of 2013 and one I can still return to without hesitation. While the effect of Hustle has somewhat made me less excited for this next Russell picture it's ignorant to think this won't at least be interesting and well put together. I'm always excited to see what this trio of collaborators (Robert De Niro is back as well) have come up with if nothing else and to that point Joy at least looks to have more of a focus than the rushed Hustle did. The directors signature style is still intact, but there is also a distinct look to this film with some glaringly beautiful shots with an interesting emphasis on the specific-seeming musical choices of both trailers. Joy will no doubt be seen as another Oscar contender with Lawrence already garnering talk of a Best Actress nomination and what I hope might be another nod for Cooper as he's been the true beacon of the previous two O. Russell features and I can't help but feel Burnt will be something of a misfire (I'll find out next week). For now though, Joy also stars Edgar Ramirez, Diane Ladd, Virginia Madsen, Isabella Rossellini, Elisabeth Röhm, Dascha Polanco and opens on Christmas Day.

Teaser Trailer for JOY Starring Jennifer Lawrence

Well, the love-fest between director David O. Russell (Silving Linings Playbook, American Hustle) and actors Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper continues with Joy. Joy has somewhat famously become known as the "The Miracle Mop Movie," but tells the story of Lawrence's titular character who founds a business dynasty and becomes a matriarch in her own right after seemingly being smothered by generations of tradition and pressure to live a particular type of life. While I wasn't as high on American Hustle as most were, Silver Linings was one of my favorite films of 2013 and one I can still return to without hesitation. To this effect, I'm fairly excited to see what this trio of collaborators have come up with next and, if nothing else, Joy looks to have more of a focus to it than Hustle while still being highlighted by several strong performers. O. Russell's signature style is intact, but there is a distinct look to this film with some glaringly beautiful shots and an aesthetic that makes the time period more than relevant. The musical choices feel a bit odd and overbearing here, but hey, it's just a trailer (and a teaser at that) and most importantly, it gives a sense of what the movie might be as well as the broad gamut of emotions it will run. If nothing else, I can only hope the film is an excuse for O. Russell to pull another exceptional performance out of Cooper as he has been the beacon in both of their collaborations prior. Joy also stars Robert De Niro, Edgar Ramirez, Diane Ladd, Virginia Madsen, Isabella Rossellini, Elisabeth Röhm, Dascha Polanco and opens on Christmas Day.