Joy (2015)

The David O. Russell directed Jennifer Lawrence flick is fast becoming something of a tradition, with Joy the newest entry on this roster. Of Russell's Lawrence/ Bradley Cooper trilogy, the other entries being Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle, Joy is by far the weakest entry, but still ranks as one of the better films of last year. Based loosely on the life of Joy Mangano, the New York divorcee who invented the 'miracle mop' in the early 1990's and now controls something of a home shopping empire, this is an inspiring story of persistence and ingenuity paying off a big way, a modern day Horatio Alger tale. There are many times along that path to success that things could have easily gone south for Joy, but a combination of luck, persistence and talent won out for her (the pessimist in me needs to point out how Joy's story is an exception not a rule). It's an enjoyable, quirky flick, with an excellent cast and a sense of almost playful optimism that still acknowledges harsh realties of life. Joy's extended family is one of the more fascinatingly dysfunctional ones I've seen on film, and the fact that she succeeded out of that odd environment makes her great success, already inherently unlikely, all the more impressive. ***1/2