Actress Jennifer Lawrence and director David O. Russell work on their third movie together in “Joy”, a moving biopic about the life of Joy Mangano (Jennifer Lawrence), inventor of the Miracle Mop. Bradley Cooper also stars in the movie, making it his fourth film with Lawrence. Photo by https://theyoungfolks.com
By ZOE PETERSON -Sports Editor
Jennifer Lawrence gives a powerful performance in David O. Russell’s “Joy”, but the film’s lack of focus leaves viewers uninterested.
“Joy”, released on Dec. 25, is a rags-to-riches biographical drama that follows the story of Joy Mangano (Jennifer Lawrence), a determined entrepreneur who rises from bankruptcy and becomes the leader of her own business dynasty.
Joy is a single mother of two children and the matriarch in her dysfunctional family. She lives in a house with her soap opera-obsessed mother (Virginia Madsen), dying grandmother (Diane Ladd), divorced father (Robert De Niro) and ex-husband (Édgar Ramírez). She’s overwhelmed, to say the least.
After a messy boating incident and a rough night, Joy comes up with the idea to invent a self-wringing mop. She calls it the “Miracle Mop,” and ventures out to sell her idea to investors. She encounters many pitfalls on her way but pushes through with the belief that her product will sell. With the help of Neil Walker (Bradley Cooper), she finally gets her shot on QVC, an American broadcasting television network. Eventually, her product becomes a success.
After dealing with a life of betrayal, loss and heartbreak, Joy seems to finally be receiving the attention and praise she’s deserved since she was a child. The film centers around her persistent attitude and “never give up” mantra as she constantly keeps picking herself back up when getting knocked down.
These traits of intelligence and hard work ethic displayed in Joy’s character are extremely powerful and translate into an inspiring message to the viewers. Her articulacy and passion shine through and let out rays of emotion and intensity as Lawrence delivers the best performance she could’ve given.
Despite Lawrence’s Oscar-worthy performance, the film itself lacks a clear focus, leaving viewers confused at times. Russell’s previous films, such as “Silver Linings Playbook” and “American Hustle,” always seem to be a little disorganized, but in a systematic way. Joy is just chaotic.
With a plot-line shift from Joy’s childhood to present-day, to dream-like scenes framed around a fictional soap opera, the story comes across as a bit of a jumbled mess. However, solid acting jobs from the cast and an uplifting message make up for the disorder.
