Review by Jessica Hanlon.
It’s hard to put a label on what it takes to be a success. Some people will tell you that it is all about ambition: if you can dream it, you can do it. Some people will tell you that success is all about perseverance; winners never quit and quitters never win. Most people will tell you that success is not the key to happiness, but that happiness is the key to success. For David O. Russell, success — and indeed his latest feature Joy — is about three things: hard work, patience and humility. The hard work comes from his cast, particularly Jennifer Lawrence’s powerhouse performance; the patience comes from his audience, who take in the simmering, slow-burning depth of O. Russell’s thoughtful screenplay; and the humility comes from O. Russell himself as he delivers some of his most stripped-back and emotionally honest work yet. Joy isn’t a film that will resonate with everyone, but for O. Russell fans and those who enjoy honest and relatable stories, Joy offers a wildly entertaining and contemplative ride on how you can make the seemingly impossible possible.
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Joy follows the incredible true story of Home Shopping Network queen Joy Mangano. A lifelong inventor, Mangano (Lawrence) is a single New Jersey mother struggling to make ends meet while looking after the business of her father Rudy (Robert De Niro), her ex-husband Tony (Édgar Ramírez), her soap-opera-addicted mother Terry (Virginia Madsen), her two children and her loving grandmother Mimi (Diane Ladd). Joy struggles to balance her complicated home life with her two jobs, until she comes up with the first-ever self-wringing mop, the now-famous Miracle Mop.
There is an obvious trajectory in most rags-to-riches stories, and Mangano’s, despite being a little more out of the ordinary, is no different. Even so, writer and director O. Russell (with story help from Bridesmaids co-writer Annie Mumolo) injects Joy with his trademark slick sequences, snappy dialogue and fast-paced storytelling. When the film focuses on Joy’s business and her determination to succeed, O. Russell’s writing and direction shine. In fact, some of the film’s strongest sequences are the ones where we, the audience, are effectively being sold on something — whether it’s Joy’s mop, the QVC sales system or even the very idea of hope and success itself.
Slightly less successful is the film’s shift into more emotional territory as it explores the dynamic between Joy and her family. Although there are strong familial relationships within the movie, particularly the bond between Joy and her grandmother Mimi, who serves as the film’s narrator, other parts of the family drama feel forced. This becomes particularly evident as the film accelerates towards its conclusion. Despite burning through plot in this section, the film sags under the weight of unnecessary conflicts between Joy, her father and her half-sister (played by an eternally snob-nosed Elisabeth Röhm). Still, this is a minor quibble, especially given the chemistry and likeability of the cast.
Undoubtedly, a major part of that appeal comes from Joy’s star, Jennifer Lawrence. Her performance is nothing short of incredible. Equal parts hardworking, frustrated, endearing and immensely likeable, Lawrence’s instincts are spot on. This is her show, and O. Russell gives her full rein to command every moment. From the second she enters the frame until the moment she leaves it, Lawrence is utterly compelling, conveying Joy’s sense of purpose and determination with ease. As Joy moves from failure to success, Lawrence becomes even more persuasive and believable as a woman determined to let nothing and no one stand in her way.
Turning in an equally convincing performance is Bradley Cooper as HSN network executive Neil Walker. Although his role is smaller here, Cooper perfectly captures the tone O. Russell is aiming for from the second he appears. Recapturing some of the effervescent chemistry he shared with Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook, Cooper plays beautifully off Lawrence’s committed Mangano, embodying the persuasive, brash, talkative dreamer you would expect a network executive to be. The scenes they share are among the best in the film. It is in these moments that Joy’s dreams, talents and emotional strain come fully to life. Madsen, De Niro, Ramírez, Ladd and Isabella Rossellini (playing De Niro’s new love interest, Trudy) all contribute with performances pitched at just the right mix of sincerity and resistance as Joy pursues her ambitions.
On paper, Joy could seem like your average rags-to-riches tale about a woman becoming an overnight success. In actuality, Joy is a celebration of the human spirit. There is a certain resonance that emerges from its story, thanks to O. Russell’s emotionally honest, stripped-back screenplay and Lawrence’s incredibly powerful and believable performance, further cementing her place as one of Hollywood’s true leading talents. Although the film becomes somewhat bogged down in overdrawn family drama, Joy ultimately overcomes this minor flaw to deliver a story that celebrates hard work, drive and the power of believing. It’s about believing not just in yourself and your dreams, but — perhaps more importantly for O. Russell and his characters — in what you are selling. For that reason alone, audiences should leave the theatre with some joy of their own. Go find some.
