Joy (2015) Reviews

• A convention of idiots came together to write some reviews of Joy

  Seller78622017-05-19

  This movie isn't about a mop. Nor is it about feminism. Nor is it about the QVC channel. The movie is about not giving up, and trying to realize one's potential. I noticed that most of the reviews weren't about the movie, they were personal attacks aimed at the director. For those who say, "The movie has no plot." Biographies aren't plot driven like fiction films. They tell stories of events that actually happened. And yes Hollywood dramatizes those events. The reviews on IMDb should convince you not how bad this movie, but how angry people get when they are stuck with a low IQ.

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• JLaw sold me more than just a mop

  shinna-684292015-12-30

  I heard that this movie received negative reviews and feedback, so I was pleasantly surprised when I enJOYed the movie as much as I did. There is no denying that the grand appeal to the movie was Jennifer Lawrence's compelling performance. The movie's story itself does not seem like it has much to offer. A poor, overworked woman selling a plastic mop does not sound that thrilling on paper. However, Lawrence takes it up a level to a powerful story about a woman never giving up and making her own opportunities happen against all odds. She takes you on an emotional journey from start to finish. Lawrence has the undeniable ability to make you ache along with her struggles. This can be uncomfortable for the helpless movie-goer, which leads me to wonder if this is the reason so many people had distaste for the film. No one wants to be told that hard work and strong will are not enough to succeed in this world, and, as a whole, "Joy" does just that. That being said, "Joy" still left me feeling inspired. As a young, aspiration-filled woman myself, Lawrence's portrayal of Joy makes me feel like I can take on the world (which is dream that current American society consistently crushes on the daily). Lawrence's deadpan stares as she struts in and out of offices along with her turning point bathroom haircut, confirm that both Jennifer and Joy are a force to be reckoned with. "Joy" also possesses a subtle humor, although many reviews seem to deny its existence. The purposefully over the top soap opera scenes obsessed over by bed-bound Terry (played by Virginia Madsen) are just enough to raise the otherwise dark tone. Lawrence and David O. Russell take you on an emotional journey with "Joy." It may not be the uplifting movie you want this holiday season, but I would argue it is the movie you need.

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• Inspirational and invigorating

  FrenchEddieFelson2019-04-24

  I confess an approach with a negative a priori. Having not really enjoyed Happiness Therapy (David O. Russell, 2012), I feared a film gathering the same director with the same main actors. And I was definitely wrong! First, Jennifer Lawrence plays admirably, and is excellently assisted by Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Edgar Ramirez, Diane Ladd, Virginia Madsen and Isabella Rossellini. This film is also a fabulous and inspirational advocacy to an escape attempt from a disadvantaged environment filled with zombies (the mother Terry in particular, and the father Rudy to a lesser extent) thanks to an obstinacy skilfully measured out and the wise help of her former husband Tony. This movie is invigorating!

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• Joy-less

  ozjosh032015-12-27

  It's not hard to see why this movie divides people. Some will always find a tale of an under-dog's trial over adversity compelling, no matter how clumsily it's told. And some will find a story about the manufacture of a mop dull, no matter how charismatic the characters or inspirational the telling of the tale. The problem here is that charisma and inspiration are in short supply. David O. Russell doesn't make much of the real strengths of the story. And he can't resist imposing his trademark style on characters and a story that really don't either warrant or suit it. So the characters are more than a little grotesque around the edges; the situations are all heightened, even given an absurdist spin; and the facts are never allowed to get in the way, even when they might actually strengthen the story. So much of Joy is desperately predictable, which makes for dispiriting viewing. And the real moments of surprise or pathos are just so much grist to the Russell mill. Jennifer Lawrence somehow shines through in the lead, and Isabella Rossellini does her best to enliven her scenes, but that's about where the positives end. For the most part, Joy is a tedious mess. While it's a story that would probably never have been told without David O. Russell wanting to enhance it with his schtick, it's a story I wish they'd entrusted to anyone other than David O. Russell.

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• Little plots make Little movies...

  Dr_Sagan2016-01-06

  This is a supposedly "inspirational" kind-of movie based on the life of Joy Mangano a business woman and inventor of home products. As I'm reading this is far from the actual life of Mangano (who, unlike the Joy in the movie, she went to University and has a degree in business administration). It is more like a blend of the stories of other housewives turned to businesswomen (if you can believe that) and contains lots of fictional elements for dramatic purposes. Nevertheless the plot is weak. So is the script. There isn't any actual moral here (like "Try and you will succeed"), and the narration of her grandmother dilutes any of that "moral" with too much "it is your destiny" crap. Soooo, the movie is an empty shell (or should I say Sell, pun intended) but is it fun to watch? No. Not really. The characters (including Robert De Niro's who plays her father, Elisabeth Röhm's who plays her half-sister, Virginia Madsen's who plays her mother and Isabella Rossellini's who plays her father's girlfriend and serves as the initial investor) are heavily unsympathetic. The direction is blunt, the pace uneven (I wont spoil you but the resolution of all problems comes in just a few seconds near the end), the situations unbelievable (like going to the...bathroom and unveil a conspiracy by pure luck) etc. Overall: A blunt movie with weak script and plot. The unsympathetic characters also make this unbearable. Not fun to watch and no true moral in this fictitious sequence of events.

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