2015’s Joy reunites director David O’Russell with Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro, following on from their collaborations on Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle. It is arguably the weakest of the three movies, but an Oscar-nominated performance from Lawrence in the titular role elevates it to something more than it might otherwise have been.
Although, to be fair, given that the premise is largely about the invention of a self-wringing mop, it is probably much more entertaining than it should be, regardless of Lawrence’s acting skills.
Score for Christmasishness
Most of the second half of the movie is set around Christmas time. It isn’t always obviously so on screen, but there are enough Christmassy scenes from the midway point onwards to justify a fairly high Christmas(ish) rating for this one. But a mop, even a self-wringing one, is a rubbish Christmas present.
James Proclaims! 