JOY REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Fresh from appearing as Katniss Everdeen in the action-packed Hunger Games franchise, Jennifer Lawrence stars as the title character, Joy Mangano, a woman who went from a struggling, divorced mother of two to being a successful business woman and entrepreneur. This film shows her incredible journey and shows both the highs and lows.

The film begins with Joy as a child and how she was always creating things. It then quickly jumps 15 or so years and shows her as a divorced mother of two who is struggling to make payments. To make things worse, her ex-husband is living in her basement, her mother lives in her bedroom watching soaps and her father turns up after his (now) ex-girlfriend dumps him, literally, on Joy's doorstep, much to her annoyance. Despite the negative environment, things begin to look up for Joy when she comes up with an idea: the Miracle Mop. What makes this mop a miracle? Joy perfectly describes this in the film, it's a plastic mop that can be easily wrung out without the user's hands getting wet. The head of the mop can also be used in the washing machine and will come out 'clean as new'. Getting this invention out is easier said than done, though and Joy struggles to get her invention noticed. However, she never gives up and she overcomes every obstacle because she is determined to make her invention a product. She meets with QVC executive, Neil Walker (Bradley Cooper), to try and get her invention on air. Unfortunately, things don't work out, at first, as the person selling the product, Todd, doesn't know how to use the mop and it doesn't sell. However, Joy takes things into her own hands and goes on TV to sell the product herself. This works and she manages to sell over 50,000 of her Miracle Mops. Despite this, things take a disastrous turn after Joy discovers that another company has been stealing her ideas and she is left bankrupt. Most women would fall into despair but what I loved about Joy is how, despite feeling like a failure, she picks herself up and carries on. This is the reason why we, as an audience, want to see her succeed as she never gives up and doesn't let anyone, or anything, get in her way.

This film is incredibly underrated. It's been released a week after the latest Star Wars film and will, unfortunately, lose out in box office ratings. The majority of people would rather watch a film set in space rather than an uplifting film about a powerful and successful woman. As much as I enjoyed watching Star Wars, I'd found it to be boring compared to Joy. I watched Joy Mangano's journey in awe. Her story is incredible and is told so beautifully through David O. Russell's directing and Jennifer Lawrence's amazing performance. I am so happy this has been nominated for two Golden Globes (one for Best Motion Picture and another for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture).

What I also loved about this film is that there was no romance. Sure, in flashbacks, we see Joy's relationship with her husband, Anthony but that's about it. Most directors and writers in Hollywood would try and force in a love interest but not O'Russell. He focuses on Joy and Joy alone. Yes, she becomes close with the QVC executive, Neil Walker, but that doesn't mean she has to have sex with him.

I think this is Lawrence's best role since she won an Oscar for playing Tiffany in Silver Lining Playbook which was also directed by O'Russell.

Overall, this film manages to tell the inspiring story of Joy Mangano. 

8/10