Fans of the work of acclaimed director David O’Russell are in for a treat this Christmas with the upcoming release of Joy, a biographical comedy film about Joy Mangano, inventor of the miracle mop.
O’Russell received acclaim for his films, Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle which leaves much to be expected with upcoming Joy. This new production reunites Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in the leads as Joy and Neil Walker respectively. Robert De Niro who played a significant role in Playbook, and a lesser in Hustle also makes a return as Rudy Mangano, Joy’s father. With an all-star cast and commended director, these are surely the ingredients needed for a great film right…Right?
Well I would love to agree and say the film will be an all but certain success but if the reactions to the previews are correct then Joy will not receive the legendary status of Playbook and Hustle. On Rotten Tomatoes it scored a 6.1 out of ten.
“Overall if feels like a high-concept approach to a very regular-concept story and doesn’t land a lot of the time”, stated critic Kyle Anderson. Another, Alonso Duralde said “It’s the kind of movie where it means nothing that our heroine hits rock bottom, because she fixes everything in the very next scene.”
Though it may not live up to the grandeur of O’Russell’s prior works that does not necessarily mean it is not a movie worth seeing. The film itself was nominated for Best Motion Picture and Jennifer Lawrence who has been praised for her portrayal is a contender for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture. In addition the film has been highly praised for female empowerment, Joanna Langfield stated “It’s awfully hard for me to not find some joy in this imperfect movie about a daring woman who digs deep and soars.” While David Sexton added
“[Joy] proves bizarrely moving and involving, not just because it’s another story of female empowerment but above all and quite simply because Jennifer Lawrence is so wondrously good here.”
In the end, this film could be considered a disappointment when measured against Hustle and Playbook, but on its own it stands on its own two feet as a pretty decent film. With its all-star cast, themes of female empowerment and challenges of life all brought together on screen, this film should not be ignored this Christmas.
Joy is released in Australian cinemas Christmas Day.
