Good performance by JLaw but not much else

Rating: 6/10 (29 December 2015)

The David O. Russell biopic about Joy Mangano starring Jennifer Lawrence gives the young actor a chance to shine but other than that, it leaves the viewer bored and unsure of what is truth or just embellishment. Russell chose a strange way to tell the story with voice over narration from Joy's grandmother, played by Diane Ladd.
Lawrence is at her best when the struggling divorced housewife yelling at her singer husband played by Edgar Ramirez who has another movie released at the same time, Point Break. As an audience member, I rooted for Joy's success, it's hard to root against the American dream.
Soon we learn that another source of her struggles is her strange upbringing by her constantly arguing parents played by Robert De Niro and Virginia Madsen. Madsen is the only source of comedy in this movie, which is why I find it weird that this movie got nominated for the Golden Globe under the comedy group. Otherwise, I don't think it gets a nomination. De Niro plays Joy's father whose phone classified dating service sets him up with a wealthy Italian mistress. Isabella Roseellini is the source of some of the best lines of the film and her character Trudy is the source of the primary backing that helped Joy take the business idea to the next level.
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