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‘Joy’ is a modern fairy tale, wonderfully rid of a Prince Charming
Loosely based on the life of inventor and entrepreneur Joy Mangano, the latest David O. Russell ("The Silver Linings Playbook", "American Hustle") feature wants to convince you that Jennifer Lawrence is the mother of two...and, oh yeah, to go follow your dreams. They're worth it!
Lawrence, who plays the titular character, is just like a Disney Princess. She looks pretty and poised, even as her father tells her she's miserable because she has dreams. This is after his new wife mangles them.
Joy, if the movie is to be believed, just wants people to have the Miracle Mop. It's super absorbent and you don't have to wring it with your hands. Joy really believes in this product, but she has to go into the woods to get it on shelves (and eventually, in people's hands).
Aside from her wicked stepmother and uncaring family (envious sister included!), she has to fight wolves who want a piece of her patent and she must journey to that special place where she can make a wish—the Home Shopping Network.
There are no fairy godmothers, but there is a sweet grandma and two very loyal friends. The lineup is complete.
There's a whimsical, exaggerated feeling to the film. In sequences where Joy has to present her case, the other party seems unreal in that they seem to exist solely to make her miserable. Why are they so crabby? Why don't they want her to succeed?
Similar to old cautionary tales, there's little development for the supporting characters. This is Joy's movie after all. With that in mind, it is Joy who fights for her dreams and it is Joy who picks herself up from the floor.
Joy is a divorcee and her story does not involve finding another partner. Instead, she maintains a great friendship with her ex-husband (Tony, played excellently by Edgar Ramirez) and she finds steadier footing as she pursues her passion.
Props to Russell for penning a screenplay with a strong feminist message without repeatedly underscoring the fact that Joy is a woman. She's a business owner, not a female business owner. (Still very pretty though.)
The story of her struggle is engaging to anyone, regardless of gender, who has ever been told "no", even if the rhythm of the film is a little hard to follow. Though interesting to look at, it lacks the visual consistency of Russell's previous offerings.
The ending does the title justice, but with the plot following a painfully familiar trajectory, it could've soared higher if it didn't simply bank on Jennifer Lawrence's appeal. The poster says a lot about their decision to anchor everything on her. — BM, GMA News
"Joy" opens in theaters on February 17, from 20th Century Fox.
