Release Date (UK): January 1
Cert: 12A
Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro re-team with auteur David O. Russell once again for the director's eighth full-length feature film. However, the dynamic group continue to surprise audiences and tread unfamiliar ground as Joy is O. Russell's first film featuring a female lead and is "inspired by the stories of daring women", as seen effectively in the opening credits.
Joy tells the story of, well, Joy Mangano, a budding inventor who finds herself the victim of societal conventions and a dysfunctional family who seem to quell the fire simmering within Joy - an ex-husband and father living in the basement and a soap opera obsessed mother don't exactly sound like the most supportive bunch. However, after cutting her hand on a glass whilst wringing out a mop, Joy's creativity and ambition is reignited and she designs her finest invention - the Miracle Mop.
Although significantly younger than the real Joy Mangano, Jennifer Lawrence provides a mature and controlled performance as the unlucky and downtrodden housewife turned business powerhouse. Even in the most subtle and muted moments, Lawrence is able to convey the conflict within Joy; the position of passivity and duty placed upon her and her passion and desire for something greater. Lawrence once again proves to us why she is the most sought after star in Hollywood and will more than likely receive her fourth Academy Award nomination.
Lawrence particularly shines during the films more emotional and serious moments which only enhance the audience's investment in the narrative. We are positioned to defiantly root for Joy and celebrate her triumphs and commiserate with her downfalls. For example, the scene in which Joy and her family gather around their television and witness their financial investment fail is utterly heartbreaking, demonstrating the film's unflinching look at the business world. In comparison, the sequence where Joy becomes the face of her own product at QVC and sees her Miracle Mop sell by the thousands is fist-pump worthy.
Whilst the emotional moments in Joy are sublime, the more quirky and experimental elements don't connect as effectively. The opening scene depicting a soap opera is a disconcerting way of beginning the picture, and Joy's nightmare sequences are jarring and perhaps too unconventional. Although they are interesting notions, they never really seem to gel with the more poignant moments throughout the rest of the film, creating an uneven and unpolished first third act.
Additionally, not all of the characters are given as much development and nuance as the titular character. Joy's half-sister Peggy is merely portrayed as a jealous sibling whilst only Joy's relationship with one of her children is realised, reminiscent of Christoper Nolan's Interstellar.
Joy may be the weakest installment of the O. Russell/Lawrence/Cooper/De Niro collaboration thus far, its stellar performances and emotional hooks should keep you talking about Joy's extraordinary story long after you've left the cinema.
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