Silver Linings II: First time was a dance ... this time they wipe the floor!

Rating: Null/10 (5 January 2016)

The team that brought us the 'Silver Linings Playbook' (2012) and 'American Hustle' (2013), have once again given us a solid film. This time they tell the true story of Joy Mangano, the inventor of the Miracle Mop, and her Italian-American family.
The film opens with the traditional icon and music of the '20th Century Fox' studio, but that is cut short as we embark on a weird and whimsical start to the film. The bizarre opening is a spot slow and at first appears irrelevant. We soon come to realize the significance of the opening.
Jennifer Lawrence plays the eponymous Joy. She lives in what seems a big house with her big family. These early family scenes show a modern, but chaotic, family. This reviewer found these scenes to be some of the most authentic filmed. I saw those scenes in the film, and I have seen almost exactly the same ones in real-life too. The real-life Joy Mangano is an executive producer of this film, thus we should conclude that the early part of the film, as well as the rest of the film, is sufficiently close enough to the truth for her satisfaction.
Joy was encouraged from her youngest days, but in her adult life, the early promise seemed to fail to materialize. Adult Joy seemed to be leading a hum-drum ordinary existence. Miss Lawrence, who previously, in 'American Hustle', played the dumb-blond bravely tackling the 'science-oven', here plays a sharp-minded innovator. Following a spillage, she has an epiphany, and invents the 'Miracle Mop'. Incidentally, it must be said what a pleasure it was, to see an actress wearing such authentically-looking soiled-clothing as Miss Lawrence does throughout this film. A good eye for detail was displayed there as well as in other parts of the film. Period-detail was good, both in the scenes, and as the characters aged. Family home-movies, and the TV, also gave authenticity. As did the well chosen music.
David O. Russell who previously brought us Silver Linings and American Hustle, once again brings together Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper as cast, as he directs, writes, and produces, 'Joy'. We have to assume that they are all happy working together as a team. They certainly work well together. There is a natural authenticity and believability about their performances. They are joined by a good supporting cast. For me, a stand-out supporting actor, was Edgar Ramirez. Miss Lawrence has to develop a many-sided complex character. But this is also somewhat true for Mr Ramirez too. He too has different sides to his character, which are pleasantly revealed throughout the film. Finally, young Isabella Crovetti-Cramp was perfect in her small part.
This film is not a drama about a couple of mentally-disturbed people just having a dance. This real-life story is a much more complex affair. It is a drama, with some humour and romance. There are interesting scenes as Joy first gives birth to her idea, then tries to develop it, and then make it a reality. The scenes where the idea is pitched, then the studio scenes, are nail-biting and poignant. Incidentally, the 20th Century Fox studio has it's very own small part to play in the story. The cut-throat business world is also shown well. As are the romantic scenes. Whilst not central to the story, the romance and family scenes, are rich and authentic, and round out the characters.
Despite a start and finish that were both a spot slow, 'Joy' is an excellent and solid film from the team that gave us the 'Silver Linings Playbook' and 'American Hustle'. Miss Lawrence is a joy as 'Joy', as is the film itself. For we audience members, the silver lining is that there is still much joy to come from this play-book. 8/10.