From the looks of it, Director David O. Russell plans to make an anthology of movies with his Lawrence-Cooper-De Niro squad after all. We’ve previously seen him working with the trio in Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and American Hustle (2013). 2015 marks their third collaboration in Joy. Who can accuse him of “repetitivity” on casting duties when he has these three good actors/friends on his speed dial? Plus, third time’s a charm, right? Well, that’ll be up for debate.
The opening sequence flashes these words on-screen, “This film is inspired by real women, and one in particular,” and in that instant, the film has already set viewer expectations that this is going to be one of those feminist, woman empowerment films. The woman we’re talking about here is Joy Mangano, an American entrepreneur eminent in her appearances on the Home Shopping Network and being the acclaimed inventor of the self-wringing “Miracle Mop.” Yes, the movie will be focusing on the humble beginnings of Joy’s matriarchal empire brought by her efforts to sell the said retractable mop. That may not sound thrilling on paper, but Pursuit of Happyness did it in 2006 as Will Smith’s character sells a bone density scanner throughout the entire film, so don’t judge too early.
Jennifer Lawrence plays the titular character — a young, struggling, single mom of two trapped in a complicated home with her dysfunctional family. Along with her grandmother and two dependent children, is her socially-withdrawn mother (Virginia Madsen) who watches soap operas the whole day, her over-achiever half-sister (Elisabeth Röhm) who constantly humiliates her in front of her children, her ex-husband (Edgar Ramirez) who lives in the basement of the house waiting for his singing career to take off, and her philandering father (Robert De Niro) who just moved back in. Her vision, as a kid, of a fictional world filled with wonderments one after another is spoiled by the realization that she has fallen into exasperating routines and forlorn mediocrity amidst a circus of family drama. Might I remind again that the name of our protagonist is Joy? Life’s ironic, right?
But Joy refuses to live in a tragic life and, like everyone else, believes she is destined for something greater. So, after a failed excursion on her father’s new girlfriend’s boat, an idea sparks in her tinkering mind which leads her to invent a revolutionary mop (or “the mop of the future” as she calls it). Throughout the film, Joy is subjected to a series of economic and psychological ups and downs but she picks up the gun and chooses to power on.
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There are several moments where Joy finds herself locked inside because of her creaky door and in a way it is a metaphor of how her dysfunctional family is impeding her growth. O’Russell’s film may succeed in letting the viewers empathize and root for the main character, but it also succeeds in presenting an ensemble of mostly unlikable supporting characters written as one-dimensional caricatures of pessimistic non-believers. This creates an illusory effect that you also have to hate the film. The family drama, infused with surrealist scenes inspired by soap operas to lighten circumstances, goes on for the first half of the film but such style is completely abandoned by the second half, making it hard to appreciate its approach. Is it a drama or a comedy? Such a dichotomous approach typically works well in some contemporary subgenres but in this case, the end product comes out disconnected.
There is no denying that this simple underdog story is elevated by Lawrence’s charismatic performance. She effectively builds a multi-layered and compelling character in Joy: a mother, a daughter and an entrepreneur. She can be feisty or vulnerable, determined or frustrated, for she effortlessly juggles these emotions. For me, her best-delivered lines are the whispered ones. Take for example her line in the trailer, “Listen to me. Never speak on my behalf about my business, again.” This type of a mature performance we’re getting from her makes me forget that she is just 25 and that she is Katniss Everdeen. Aside from selling the mop, more than anything, she sells the film.
Despite its flaws, you have to admire the film for reasons that it does not really try to be grand and force-feed the audience an overtly feminist message. Some will perceive this film as flat as the synopsis would suggest — a dull story on manufacturing and selling a mop — yet some will see this film for what it really is — a low-key, simple yet inspiring story of a woman who believes in herself, sticks to her guns and conquers adversities in life; this is a story of perseverance.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR-2TiQVY-k]
