JOY: Jennifer Lawrence Overcomes Everything, Including Her Own Director (Review)

Since 2010, director David O. Russell has reinvented himself into an Oscar frontrunner, making prestigious ensemble comedies/dramas. He's attracted big stars like Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, and Jennifer Lawrence. His earlier films, including I Heart Huckabees and Flirting with Disaster, were oddball, quirky comedies--a lot weirder than his recent Oscar fare. With Joy, his fourth film in five years, Russell tries to bring some of those surreal elements into his prestige new phase, with mixed results.

Starring Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence, Academy Award winner Robert De Niro, Edgar Ramirez, Isabellla Rossellini, Virginia Madsen, Diane Ladd, and Bradley Cooper, Joy tells the story of creative, independent Joy and her attempts to break out of her crazy, dysfunctional upbringing. The script was written by David O. Russell, from a story by Russell and Oscar nominee Annie Mumolo. The film is loosely based on inventor Joy Magano. Rather than be a straight biopic, it focuses more on the idea of woman inventors and the struggles of the working mother.

Joy (Lawrence) has a life in shambles. Her mother Terri (Madsen) is a TV-addicted shut-in, her deadbeat but caring ex-husband Tony (Ramirez) lives in her basement, her hot-tempered father Rudy (De Niro) also comes to live with her after his girlfriend throws him out and the only person who seems to care for her is her grandmother Mimi (Ladd). Joy as the idea for a self-ringing mop and with the help of Rudy's latest girlfriend Trudy (Rossellini), starts to make it happen. After some setbacks, joy gets her big break selling the mops on QVC under the guidance of Neil Walker (Cooper).

Joy is a very messy movie. It has a loose structure, one that is almost episodic. Joy moves to several different eras of her life through the film. Joy features long sequences where there is always a handful of characters in the scene--even when it makes no sense for them to be there. I can see where David O. Russell is going with this kind of loose film. There's a surreal, dreamscape vibe where everything is heightened. Take for instance an extended flashback showing Joy and Tony's courtship and marriage. The wedding scene has Rudy make a horrible speech, breaking glasses and Joy openly sobbing. But it's almost comical, and absurdly over the top. The tone of this portion of the film is hard to grasp; it feels serious and awful, but Russell directs it with too a light a hand.

Joy often plays like the re-imagining of a bad memory. Rudy's speech and actions during the wedding reflect more how Joy feels about it, than what probably actually happened. I'm sure her wedding was just as chaotic and terrible, but maybe it wasn't as directly chaotic and terrible as the film shows. During the rest of the film, during any of Joy's highs or lows, her family often reacts in the worst way possible. They bring her down, questioning her intelligence, her fitness as a mother, or her business acumen. But are we just seeing Joy's headspace? Is the film filtered through Joy's memory? Or perhaps someone else's?

The film makes the bizarre choice to have Mimi, Diane Ladd's character, narrate the film. This serves a larger purpose. It allows for Joy's more "angelic" qualities to be empowering, not cloying. Mimi is pretty much the only character besides Joy's children and perhaps her ex, who treats Joy like something other than burning garbage. The heightened unpleasantness can be excused by Mimi hating that her granddaughter is pulled down by these monsters. The narration by Mimi is not that successful, because it takes the film's perspective away from Joy.

Joy has some great sequences. Bradley Cooper and the whole QVC segment enliven the film. Neil Walker plays like an actual person; his excitement and willingness to actually listen to Joy are infectious. Joy is at its most focused during this part, because the film allows for Joy. to really make her goals happen without her family. The QVC studio is a new location that's different, along with Cooper's animated and lively performance, offers a refreshing change of pace for the film and Joy herself.

It's awesome seeing something positive happening on screen when Joy makes her presentation on QVC, because the world around her pretty much sucks. Joy does not hold true to its title because much of the film is viscerally unpleasant. Elizabeth Rohm (American Hustle) plays Joy's half-sister Peggy and she's absolutely one of the most despicable characters of the year. Literally everything she does is hateful, but the film doesn't really explore her life. She just mentions that she has ideas too every time Joy enjoys some success like she's a petulant 6 year old. De Niro is also just horribly petty and completely useless. De Niro plays one of his most lifeless and hard to watch characters; everything he says is nasty and manipulative. If David O. Russell is trying go for an absurd comedy, he failed by making almost everyone a shrill nag. I didn't really care for Rossellini either, who is too smart an actress for such a literally stupid character.

The supporting cast has some bright spots. Edgar Ramirez has some great moments as Tony. Virginia Madsen and Jimmy Jean-Louis as her new beau provide some of the best and successful weird moments. Dascha Polanco also shines as the loyal and supportive Jackie, Joy's best friend. Visually the film has some interesting touches. The editing (handled by no less than 4 people) is loose and inconsistent, which adds to the frantic nature of the film. The movie does look great, and the camerawork is erratic, but it totally worked for me.

Jennifer Lawrence herself delivers one of her best performances. In general, I think she is quite a remarkable actress and her work in Joy is layered and fierce. The way she walks out of her house with a coffee cup, her stone cold silence, and penetrating gaze really make the film soar. She carries the whole movie, playing a character quite unlike she's ever done. Lawrence's acting is triumphant, and she exhibits confidence and self-assurance. Even during Joy's darker periods, Lawrence maintains her integrity and control over herself. Simply, Jennifer Lawrence is magnificent and I wish the film around her were better.

I think David O. Russell is going for a messy but almost hypnotic look, like a fantastical vibe without any outright supernatural stuff. It's an interesting take on the subject, because it adds some life to the standard biopic. I'm not sure if David O. Russell was the right person for the job. Joy features cutaways to a fictional soap opera, which is funny and helps the film stay farcical when things get too grim. But it feels awkward and forced--another director might've made it more seamless.

Joy is a strange film, anchored by a committed, strong performance from its star Jennifer Lawrence.  It's not a film that I can genuinely recommend to someone, though its loose but ambitious structure is hard to ignore. Joy has a killer soundtrack and the movie does have a cool vibe. But its smugness and general unpleasantness is hard to stomach, even with such a radiant star.

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