When Jennifer Lawrence Attempts to be Iron Woman Minus the Suit and the Marvel Universe, it probably looks a lot like Joy. Not that Joy, which is almost entirely autobiographical, is a downright drag or anything, but it does unwind at a pace that is best described as slovenly.
David O Russell's now Oscar nominated film about a suburban mom whose grandmom spotted a spark for invention in (she calls it greatness in her voice over at the start), has all the elements necessary for a feel good biography. A sizeable budget. Some killer music. A great cast. He's got Robert de Niro and Bradley Cooper to work with, for heavens sake. And yet, there's this lingering sense of having sat down for a Maharaja Mac and having to settle for the snacker that KFC serves in India.
Also, there is SO MUCH TIME spent on Joy's life before she even gets to the part where she wants to become an inventor, that it can wring you dry - faster than the easy wringing mop that she invents and sells to most of America. By the time the movie actually gets moving, it's one of those 'too much, too late' situations. There are scenes shot in Joy's (Jennifer Lawrence) rather run down suburban kitchen where you may just end up counting drops of water dripping from the sink - simply because it's that much more interesting than the protracted back story of millionaire-in-the-making Joy Mangano's life.
There are some truly endearing moments though, that make Joy just a shade more inspiring than the average biography. Unlike the usual woman-on-top, Joy has this curious thing going with her ex-husband Tony (Edgar Ramirez) brings to the table, especially after he's been living in her basement post their split - where she turns to him for business advice and support. The way she keeps picking herself up over and over again when her shots at getting her big invention off the ground, makes for some heart-warming viewing. The way she wrangles her way into QVC, a television shopping network that may not seem familiar to this generation, but was a rage in the early 90's in India, to sell her mop on screen, is another lesson in perseverance. All of these are practically what start-up gurus are peddling these days, by the kilo.
Much like any other underdog business story, Joy too has its moments of epiphany. When Joy finally wins small victories and marches on to becoming the million dollar mistress that you always knew she would become, you want to root for her. You want to feel like you've been a part of an inspiring journey. But unless you've done it on home video with plenty of snack breaks and a couple of naps, it's not the easiest thing in the world. The laid back editing and an overly intimate tailing off for the characters in Joy's rather large family (her grandmom, her mom, her dad, his girlfriend, her ex husband, his current girlfriend, her sister - you get the drift), make it that much more dreary. If anything, her two kids get severely short-changed in in this odyssey. And if I were them, I would have had severe mommy issues. Unless, of course, she financed my business idea.
Movie - Joy
Director - David O Russell
Cast - Jennifer Lawrence, Robert de Niro, Edgar Ramirez, Diane Ladd
Rating - 2.5/5