Jennifer Lawrence stands out above the subpar quality of this semi-biopic drama

Rating: 5/10 (16 May 2016)

There is a lot to be said when it comes a biopics of famous figures, and plenty audience come to expect when going into a biopic starring a glamorizing cast directed by David O. Russell, an inspiring filmmaker brought a true sense of charm in films such as 'Three King', 'The Silver Lining Playbook', and 'American Hustle' (haven't seen The Fighter). Joy Mangano, an American entrenpeneur who gained high business status in the 1990s with her invention of the Miracle Mop and later developed patents on hundreds of other new products that rose the woman up to fame and earned her a spot on the cover of a Forbes magazine, is the central figure of this semi-biopic drama. The film stars the ever likable Jennifer Lawrence as the titular character, a woman living an overly stressful life in New York cramped in a house supporting her two young children, her mother Terry (played by Virginia Madsen), her grandmother Mimi (played by Diane Ladd), her overachieving and arrogant sister Peggy (played by Elizabeth Rohem) and later her father Rudy (played by Robert De Niro), an auto shop owner who is forced to move down in the basement with Joy's ex-husband Tony (played by Edgar Ramirez) who he doesn't get along with too well for his attitude towards him. In an desperate effort to make a difference and possibly provide more efficient support for her family, Joy becomes the mastermind behind a brand new product known as the Miracle Mop (as mentioned above) and with the support of company executive Neil Walker (played by Bradley Cooper) to sale the product on Home Shopping Network, she rises high in the business dynasty while battling the obstacles of business management.
Business can get dirty and is not always an easy road and the film significantly underlines it. And with a filmmaker like David O. Russell in the director's chair, it's quite fair to expect more than just a straight forward story of a famous business entrenpeneur. However, the beauty and charm Russell brought to his previous pictures seem rather lost here. The film is only partially based on facts of Joy Mangano and her rise to business fame while part of it is fiction-based which is not a problem as long as it tell a story a cohesive story, a task this film fails to do. The storytelling is uneven and scatters all over the place, with seemingly non-stop flashbacks of Joy's childhood and later her marriage with Tony dotted throughout the storyline. The purpose behind these flashback sequences serves little importance other than expository, and at times hurt the flow of the story. By the end, the film feels it missed some opportunities in bringing together an engaging tribute to its real- life figure it centers on. Luckily, Jennifer Lawrence who's made her third collaboration with director Russell delivers a solid performance that anchors the film. She comes charming and likable in her role to where you come to care a lot about her character, you root for her success and become frustrated by the obstacles she faces when making her way up the business ladder. Bradley Cooper, another frequent collaborator of David O. Russell, is also quite engaging in his role but sadly shares a small amount of screen time than expected. Although Robert De Niro stands well here, his role along with the rest of the supporting characters, is cut short and feels less memorable than when he played Bradley Cooper's dad is Silver Lining Playbook.
Joy may deliver a considerable amount of charm with some fine performances by some strongly likable actors, the film falls deep below the level of David O. Russell's previous efforts. It is not to say that the film isn't worth watching but certainly isn't something to expect as a powerful cinematic work of art like Silver Lining Playbook and American Hustle.