Joy (2015)

Directed by David O. Russell
Produced by John Davis, Megan Ellison, Jonathan Gordon, Ken Mok, David O. Russell
Screenplay by David O. Russell
Story by Annie Mumolo, David O. Russell
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Edgar Ramirez, Diane Ladd, Virginia Madsen, Isabella Rossellini, Bradley Cooper
Music by West Dylan Thordson, David Campbell
Cinematography: Linus Sandgren
Edited by Alan Baumgarten, Jay Cassidy, Tom Cross, Christopher Tellefsen
Production companies: Fox 2000 Pictures, Davis Entertainment Company, Annapurna Pictures, TSG Entertainment
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date: 25 December 2015 (United States)
Running time: 124 minutes
Country: United States
Budget: $60 million
Box office: $52.1 million

"Joy" is a biographical comedy drama film written and directed by David O. Russell. It tells the story of Joy, who rose to become founder and matriarch of a powerful family business dynasty.

Cast

• Jennifer Lawrence as Joy 
• Isabella Crovetti-Cramp as young Joy
• Robert De Niro as Rudy
• Bradley Cooper as Neil Walker
• Édgar Ramírez as Tony
• Diane Ladd as Mimi
• Virginia Madsen as Terri
• Isabella Rossellini as Trudy
• Elisabeth Röhm as Peggy
• Madison Wolfe as young Peggy
• Dascha Polanco as Jackie
• Emily Nunez as young Jackie
• Melissa Rivers as Joan Rivers
• Donna Mills as Priscilla
• Susan Lucci as Danica
• Maurice Benard as Jared
• Laura Wright as Clarinda
• Alexander Cook as Bartholomew
• Jimmy Jean-Louis as Touissant
• Drena De Niro as Cindy
• Erica McDermott as Parking Lot Woman

Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper - a perfect tandem? Yes, of course. Jennifer Lawrence and David O. Russell? Not always. If "Silver Linings Playbook" has turned out something unusual and captivating, "Joy" seems like an ideal recipe for success. However all these "sugar, spice and everything nice" just don't work this time. Sorry, David O. Russell, but I must admit it. Don't misunderstand me, the picture is neither failed nor terrible; it's just normal - positive and funny at times, but not something special.

The main disadvantage of the film is its ideality: Lawrence's character masters a run-away horse and almost isn't faced with difficulties and that's strange - even hitches on QVC don't look like a big problem. Yes, it's a feature film, I see, but it's also a biographical one.

And I also can't not say anything about Jennifer's acting: in "Joy" she reminded me more emotionless Katniss Everdeen fron "The Hunger Games" than charmingly insane Rosalyn Rosenfeld from "American Hustle". And it seemed to me like the actress just couldn't unveils her potential playing the role of an ordinary woman.

Advantages

• Jennifer Lawrence as Joy 
• Robert De Niro as Rudy
• Bradley Cooper as Neil Walker
• Édgar Ramírez as Tony

Disadvantages

• Too grotesque at times
• Especially Joy's family

"Strangenesses"

• Too perfect

Clue Moments

• 1989
• Quogue
• Joy's family
• Jackie 
• A glass of red wine
• A self-wringing mop
• Trudy 
• $50,000
• QVC 
• Jackie's death
• The trickery
• Joy's revenge
• Success

Details

• White snow like an image of something new.

Joy Mangano was born on Long Island, New York, in 1956 and earned a BA in business administration from Pace University. Frustrated with household mopping, Mangano invented a new kind of mop, the Miracle Mop, and when she appeared on QVC to sell it, the mop served as a launch pad for success. She went on to invent several other products, and in 1999 she sold her company, which has hundreds of millions in sales, to HSN.

More here.

Soundtracks

1. Cary Ratcliff and George Woodward - Past Three O'Clock
2. Pino Donaggio, N. Massari and G Plenizio  - The House Of Doom
3. Cream - I Feel Free
4. Shirley Elliston - The Name Game
5. Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers - I Whistle A Happy Tune
6. Neeme Järvi and Scottish National Orchestra - Cinderella, Op. 87 (Excerpts): Act III Scene 2: Amoroso
7. Elmer Bernstein - From The Terrace Love Theme
8. Antonio Carlos Jobim - Aguas De Marzo
9. Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder
10. Alabama Shakes - Gimme All Your Love
11. Ella Fitzgerald and Chick Webb and His Orchestra - I Want To Be Happy
12. Nat King Cole - Solamente Una Vez
13. Alessandro Cicognini - Don Camillo Monsignore Ma Non Tro
14. Franz Waxman - The Drowning Part B
15. Choir of King's College, Cambridge with Thomas Bullard, Benjamin Bayl and Stephen Cleobury - Bleak Midwinter's Silent Night
16. Salzburg Bach Choir, Alois Glassner - Notre Pere, Op. 14
17. The Pedrito Martinez Group - River Road
18. Edgar Ramirez, Ray De La Paz & The Pedrito Martinez Group - Mama Told Me Not To Come
19. The Dave Brubeck Quartet - When You Wish Upon A Star
20. C. Carson Parks - Something Stupid
21. Willie West - Baby, Baby I Love You
22. Bee Gees - To Love Somebody
23. Cole Porter - I Am In Love
24. Frank Sinatra & Count Basie and His Orchestra - The Good Life
25. Bernard Herrmann - Goodnight
26. West Dylan Thordson  - Unluckiest Man
27. Bernard Herrmann - The Necklace
28. Bruce Springsteen - Racing In The Street
29. Spanish Flamenco - La Paloma
30. 101 Strings Orchestra - Young At Heart
31. Spanish Flamenco - Malaguena
32. Elvis Presley - A Little Less Conversation
33. David Buckley - Our Office Is Busier Than Yours
34. David Buckley - Alicia Reflects
35. David Buckley - Countdown To Execution
36. David Buckley - J'accuse
37. Reuben Anderson - Christmas Time Again
38. The Ronettes - Sleigh Ride
39. Buffalo Springfield - Expecting To Fly
40. Glenn Frey - I Did It For Your Love
41. The Rolling Stones - Stray Cat Blues
42. Nat King Cole - Winter Wonderland
43. Nat King Cole - A House With Love In It
44. Brittany Howard - I Feel Free

Quotations

* * *

Joy: [after Peggy attended her meeting without consent] Never speak, on my behalf, about my business, again.

* * *

Joy: We got here from hard work, patience, and humility. Don't think the world owes you anything, because the world owes you nothing.

* * *

You may see the trailer here.

Plot: 6/10

Entertainment: 7/10

Acting: 6/10

Originality: 7/10

Music and Sound: 6/10

6/10