Movie: Joy
Direction: David O. Russell
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Edgar Ramirez, Diane Ladd, Virginia Madsen, Isabella Rossellini, Bradley Cooper
Music: West Dylan Thordson, David Campbell
Cinematographer: Linus Sandgren
Editor: Alan Baumgarten, Jay Cassidy, Tom Cross, Christopher Tellefsen
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Rating: ∗∗∗½
What is it about: It’s what they call in Hollywood a semi-fictional drama which revolves around the character Joy Magano (Jennifer Lawrence), who rose to top by battling through her personal and professional obstacles. Joy is directed by David O Russell.
Why it’s disappointing: The film has its fair share of clichés, but that can be neglected for the treatment given by the director. The pace is quite slow, which may work against it.
What to watch out for: The best part of the film was its eccentric comedy which doesn’t fall short at any point covering its base from clichés. The writing was good, which compliments the direction and oscillates periodically with poise. What makes “Joy” a good watch are its characters, which were aptly chosen. Every one of them fit their attire perfectly without falling out of place.
Jennifer Lawrence, she’s one actress who reached this point at god speed in her career. She brings a lot of character to any role she played till date. And when you put a character like “Joy” in front of her, she out shines her performance. She played every shade of it with finesse and carried off with a strong suit. Another strong contender at the Academy Awards this year.
Robert De Niro, is a treasurable wine which gets better and better as it ages. Role which implies comedy and eccentric behaviour becomes a great attire for him.
Bradley Cooper had a very short stint in it, but did justice to the screen space given. So was the case with Edgar Ramirez (Joy’s Ex-Husband). The rest of the supporting cast made their case a strong one with their respective roles.
The cinematography was good by Linus Sandgren which was supported well by tightly bound editing by Alan Baumgarten, Jay Cassidy, Tom Cross & Christopher Tellefsen.
Verdict: David O Russell did a good job in instilling faith in your abilities with “Joy”. Joy is caring, Joy is vulnerable, Joy is a Dreamer, Joy is a daughter, Joy is a wife, Joy is a Mother, Joy is confident, Joy is courageous and most of all Joy is Jennifer Lawrence.
