Synopsis
A story based on the life of a struggling Long Island single mom who became one of the country's most successful entrepreneurs.
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Cast
- Jennifer LawrenceJoy Mangano
- Robert De NiroRudy
- Bradley CooperNeil Walker
- Edgar RamírezTony Miranne
- Diane LaddMimi
- Virginia MadsenTerry
- Isabella RosselliniTrudy
- Dascha PolancoJackie
- Elisabeth RöhmPeggy
- Susan LucciDanica
Recommendations
- 100
The Telegraph
Since Joy is a David O. Russell film, the presence of a) Lawrence and b) bizarre, fizz-popping explosions of catharsis are to be expected. But the ringmaster of The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle seems to have mellowed a little, which means fewer outright belly laughs, but a more layered and involving emotional landscape. - 80
Time Out London
Lawrence is gritty, real and totally genuine. And, after ‘Brooklyn’ and ‘Carol’, here’s another film that passes the Bechdel Test for proper female characters with flying colours. - 75
The Playlist
Playing like a slightly more reflective B-side to the director's greatest hits, his style in this film isn’t for the more cerebral audiences. But for the viewer who relates to family dysfunction, its maddening contradictions and its mercurial tenor, Joy can be painfully funny, engaging and full of relatable heartache. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
That the film itself is nearly as chaotic as the clan it examines can either be regarded as an admirable artistic correlative or a crippling defect, but the splendidly dextrous cast ensures that this goofy success story, which could just easily be titled American Hustle 2, keeps firing on all cylinders in the manner of the writer-director's previous few outings. - 67
IndieWire
A sunny ode to capitalism, the movie is a coy advertisement of its own. In that context, it's a whole lot better than one might expect, and loaded with talent unabashedly hawking their wares. - 63
Slant Magazine
David O. Russell proposes that there may be no real barrier between the caustic worldview he wears and the sense of childlike wonder he sells. - 60
Screen Daily
The improvisational flair, unpredictable tonal shifts and overt emotional lurches that highlighted American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook are here less consistently inspired and affecting, resulting in a heartfelt fairy tale that only soars in spurts. - 60
The Guardian
David O Russell’s Joy is an intriguing but weirdly subdued and stylised film.
