Fighting Ahead and Finding Joy Despite Huge Odds

Rating: 8/10 (2 January 2016)

Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid (DDK)
Rating: 3.9/5 stars
The latest feature from writer-director David O. Russell is a quirky but very perceptive dramaedy made in Russell's usual freewheeling style. He looks at what it takes to make it, the American Dream, familial dysfunction and love in spite of that pervasive dysfunction, and the loneliness of a long-distance runner. "Joy" is, for all intents and purposes, pure joy to look at and sit through, complete with postcard-worthy scenes, a mesmerizingly immersive script, fairytale like seamless direction from an in-form Russell (red-hot after delivering a trio of classics in "The Fighter", "Silver Linings Playbook", and "American Hustle"), an all-star cast at the top of their game for most parts, and Jennifer Lawrence wearing the pants.
Lawrence is the standout as always and she delivers a very believable performance in the eponymous role. David O. Russell has certainly found his muse. As Katharine Hepburn was to George Cukor or Marlene Dietrich was to Josef von Sternberg, so too is Jennifer Lawrence to Russell. This is his third picture to feature Lawrence but the first to star her - or any woman for that matter - as the sole lead in one of his movies. The partnership has yielded yet another fruitful collaboration for all involved. In an era where we routinely bemoan the dearth of strong roles for women, "Joy" quietly enters the discussion and gives us exactly that.
The film is a real tribute to the scrappy heroines of the 1940s when female-centric films were common. Think pictures starring Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck, Katharine Hepburn, or Joan Crawford. Yes, those are indeed lofty comparisons, but Jennifer Lawrence embodies the fierce spirit of those trailblazing heroines. What's old seems new again. She's an uplifting breath of fresh air. A woman with her eyes firmly set on the American Dream. I'll even go so far as to say that if Lawrence had been born before 1920, she might have stolen roles from Jean Arthur, Katharine Hepburn, or Bette Davis. This is a defining role where she comes in not aggressively "with a bow and arrow", as the director has noted, "but with her heart and soul". "Joy" will definitely please Jennifer Lawrence fans as well as viewers who enjoy movies with a strong female lead and viewpoint.