'Joy' review: A quirky film to watch on a day off

Rating: *** 1/2

Genre: Semi-biographical comedy-drama

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Isabella Rossellini, Edgar Ramirez, Bradley Cooper

Direction: David O Russell

Language: English

It’s a three-for-three for the combined pairing of Lawrence, Cooper and Russell as they come together yet again after "Silver Linings Playbook" and "American Hustle" to tell the story of self-made millionaire Joy Mangano.

A divorced mother of two kids with her ex living in her basement and bickering parents (De Niro is also a Russell favourite) who just don't quit, Joy (Lawrence) has her plate full and has to box up her dreams of being a big-time inventor. However, a random accident on the boat of her father's new girlfriend births the idea of a self-wringing mop and with it brings Joy's struggle against damning odds to see it become a magnificent success.

As Russell's muse, Lawrence gets to play characters that actors her age rarely get a whiff of, and to her credit, she does them justice (she now has an Oscar nod for each Russell collaboration), but it is sometimes to the detriment of the film when a character becomes larger than the film itself. So like all previous endeavours, while Lawrence has enough gravitas to give an anchored performance in "Joy", it is still hard to imagine a 25-year-old as a jaded mother of two. Russell keeps the tone light and pithy with a pace that doesn't dwell too long on hurdles and keeps it moving full steam ahead. The rest of the supporting cast also ably fulfill their duties and make "Joy" a quirky enough film to watch on a day off. You don't have to rearrange your calendar to make room for this though. There are better offerings on the way.

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Also Read: Jennifer Lawrence wins Golden Globe 2016 for 'Joy'