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Joy
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02:22
Joy
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- 2015
- David O Russell
- 118 mins
- 12A
Summary
An imaginative youngster with dreams of being an inventor grows up to be a downtrodden single mother, struggling to support her chaotic family. She sees a chance to turn all their lives around when inspiration strikes and she creates a new household tool, but faces the challenge of selling her product in the demanding world of a home shopping TV station. Fact-based drama, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper
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Review
A star rating of 4 out of 5.
Emma Simmonds
"I don't need a prince," the young Joy Mangano tells her incredulous half-sister in writer/director David O Russell's fizzy feminist dramedy. Seen through her grandmother's eyes (Diane Ladd) and imbued with her pride and protectiveness, Joy transforms the inventor's life into a gorgeous but nevertheless gritty fairy tale. Despite the quietly showy camerawork and overriding feel of the fantastical, Mangano (played by Russell regular Jennifer Lawrence) is presented as a woman of credible, complex character - the only "unanxious presence" in a chaotic brood. At the height of her domestic despair, she happens upon an idea for a revolutionary mop and sets about making it happen. Russell mines Joy's fractious familial relations and the weird world of home shopping to amusing effect, while it's cheering to see a woman's career accomplishments placed at the fore. Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper are spot-on in support but a gutsy, understated Lawrence leads by example in a role that inspires great admiration. Rich with enchantment and fuelled by female determination, this story of the travails of an ordinary heroine is as delightful as its title suggests.
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6.6/10
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Credits
Cast
rolenameJoy ManganoJennifer LawrenceRudy ManganoRobert De NiroNeil WalkerBradley CooperTony MiranneEdgar RamirezTrudyIsabella RosselliniMimiDiane LaddTerryVirginia MadsenJackieDascha PolancoPeggyElisabeth RöhmJoan RiversMelissa Rivers
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Crew
rolenameDirectorDavid O Russell
Details
Theatrical distributor
20th Century Fox
Released on
2016-01-01
Languages
English | French | Spanish
Guidance
Swearing
Available on
DVD and Blu-ray
Formats
Colour
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