Joy

December 25, 2015

Jays Rating:
Actors: /

David O. Russell directs a true story about the persistent inventor of the Miracle Mop in the comedy drama, Joy. It’s the 90’s and Joy Mangano (Jennifer Lawrence) is a divorced mother of two who has not been very successful with her business primarily because she didn’t patent her inventions. Another disadvantage is she’s a really nice person, in fact, she has her father Rudy (Robert De Niro) and her ex-husband Tony (Edgar Ramirez) living in the basement of her house. With this invention of the Miracle Mop she eventually receives a patent, has hundreds made, and tries to sell them in the K-Mart shopping lot. (This is where I buy my Girl Scout cookies.) She isn’t able to sell any in the parking lot, so she talks to Neil Walker (Bradley Cooper) the head of QVC Telesales Network and he wants fifty thousand mops to sell the next week on television. (Yes, this is before internet shopping.) Even though it sounds like Joy has succeeded this is just the beginning of her troubles with the salesmen selling her mop, the people who actually make the mop, and even her family who help finance the mop. This is a really interesting story about a woman overcoming obstacles and how she reinvents herself. Of course, Jennifer Lawrence is the star of the film but I don’t see (no pun intended) any awards in this David O. Russell directed film. Be prepared this is supposed to be a comedy, but it’s not really funny. There are some humorous parts but it’s the story that’s fascinating. (If you think a movie about a mop is interesting.) I’m giving this film about perseverance a B- rating.

This movie has been given a PG13 rating by the MPAA

Although I am blind, I can appreciate a good movie as well as sighted individuals.  I rely more on a good story line than special effects.