Joy (2015)

 

Director: David O. Russell 

How many times have you heard someone saying that you should give up on your dreams, it is not worth pursuing them and it's actually a dead end? I believe more often than you would want to. We are living in a world with so many different preconceptions and social constructs that makes us question our own beliefs, choose a path that does not suit us and strangles our growth. If someone tells you that you can't do something, it does not mean you really can't and shouldn't. It simply means that you have to push yourself even harder to prove them wrong and show what you are actually capable of. This is what Joy Mangano did, and I am glad that Russel chose to share this inspiring story with us exactly now.

For those of you who do not know who Joy Mangano is/ was (and I didn't at first), in few words - she was a typical American success story. Being a young mom, Joy had to find a job and provide for her family from very early age. She had always been into building something practical and finding innovative solutions to the problems, but due to financial difficulties, Joy had to forget about further education and had no time to devote for doing something she really liked - inventing things. One family argument made Joy realize that she doesn't have to be stuck with this miserable life anymore and instead create a better future for her and so many other working moms in America. That is when the Miracle Mop came around. It was not easy at first. People above you tend to reject you, tend to make you feel worthless and your idea - garbage. But with determination, strong belief, and the right people by your side big things can happen. 

This story might really seem cliché, but it does not make it less true. So many people around the world, especially women, can relate to that. Life does not always go the way we want and we often have to make sacrifices, but at the end of the day, everything happens for a reason. I am a firm believer that when one door closes, another opens with an even better opportunity. If it does not work out this time, it might in the future. I actually saw this film just at the beginning of 2016, but I finally forced myself to finish writing the review only now. I guess it's the Christmas time moving closer that made me once again believe in miracles.

The film as such is indeed a great fit for holiday season, but mostly for adults. I feel like this year was the perfect time for me to watch it. I have been doubting myself, my skills and competencies all the time, but I should stop that. The only person who suffers from it is me. I want to become an entrepreneur some day. I want to be like Joy Mangano. Fearless. And Jennifer Lawrence creates the character perfectly. I don't know what it is about her, but she can play it fierce easy and believably. As if she had such experience herself. One thing that bothers me though is that David O. Russell always sticks to the same couple - Jennifer + Bradley. I know that they have developed a great chemistry between them, but I have got annoyed to seem them as partners all the time it's another Russell's film. A little versatility would be highly appreciated. Other than that, I have nothing else to complain about. The story unfolds very dynamically, and ends, of course, on a positive note, yet few things are left untold and you have to imagine what would happen next. Likewise, the operator's work is on point; especially the last snowy scene (no wonder it was used in the poster as well) which makes me crave winter so badly. All in all, this film does deserve it's name. It really is a joy to watch it.