Writer-director David O. Russell reunites Lawrence with her Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle co-stars Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper, but can't quite come up with the same magic for the third time in a row.
According to the opening credits Joy was "inspired by true stories of daring women ... and one in particular,” Joy Mangano, a home-shopping entrepreneur who along with the Miracle Mop has invented over 100 other products. Lawrence stars as Mangano in the story of a one woman struggle to save her family from financial ruin – loosely based on Mangano's real life experience.
While Joy has all the ingredients of a stellar rags-to-riches story (superb cast, great writer) it doesn't quite add up. O. Russell has, for some reason, used a mish-mash of film styles and introduces an ensemble of characters, but fails to really develop them.
Joy begins by introducing us to a young Mangano who likes to make things, narrated in a grand and gutsy tone by her loving grandmother Mimi (Dianne Ladd). The narration is so epic that it is really noticeable when it suddenly disappears. Also, Ladd is set-up as a key character who is well aware of her granddaughter's hidden talents, and then suddenly, like her narration, vanishes.
When Mimi’s narration eventually returns - as abruptly as it left - it feels jarring and out of place. This is just one example of the start-stop method of storytelling that is used throughout the movie making it feel very unsettled throughout.
De Niro stars as Mangano's father, Rudy, who shows up on her doorstep when his new wife throws him out. He moves into the basement where her ex-husband Tony, (Edgar Ramirez) is already living. Tony and Rudy don’t get along, so Mangano comically divides the basement with a piece of tape. This sparring relationship should lead to more humorous moments but again it dies out, with their biting remarks failing to ignite more than an initial guffaw.
Adding to the list of kooky characters is Mangano's mother played by Virgina Madsen, who lives upstairs watching soap operas all day, detaching from reality by making TV characters her new reality. There's also Rudy's new girlfriend, Trudy (Isabella Rossellini) who oddly enough breathes some life into Joy.
While Joy sets out to be a tale about a women challenged to succeed in man's world, it turns out to be much more of cautionary tale – no matter how well you do in school or how inventive you are at coming-up with new ventures – like a self-wringing mop – your family can really dampen your dreams.
It's clear from the outset that Mangano loves her family and would do anything for them, despite their best efforts to drag her down. However, this is established very early in the movie and it is really unnecessary to flog this point for the following two hours.
On the plus side the movie lifts to a new height anytime Mangano breaks free of her clan, most notably when she takes charge of the launch of her Miracle Mop at the shopping channel, QVC. This is also where she meets her business mentor, Neil Walker (Bradley Cooper). The tension filled moments where Lawrence and Cooper are on screen together are pure cinema gold.
The true joy in this movie is another standout performance from Lawrence and its definitely worth watching for that alone, however the story of the Miracle Mop inventor is seriously lacking in any kind of sparkle.
Suzanne Keane
