Film Friday: Joy

It was hard to not expect a regurgitation of Silver Linings when I discovered Joy consisted of Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence starring alongside each other, but boy was I wrong. Set in 1989, the movie tells the story of Lawrence's Joy, a woman with a conventional job (an airport clerk) wishing to make more of herself.

Held back by her misogynistic father, her hypochondriac bed-ridden mother and the ex-husband who lives in her basement, Joy overcomes her hurdles in order to sit down and sketch out an invention- a self-wringing mop.

With strong feminist connotations, the picture focuses on three generations- Joy, her daughter and her ailing grandmother who inspired her to strive. The movie covers the difficulty of business, the woes of crooked persons in the business industry and gives an insight into the behind-the-scenes workings of a shopping channel.

Although at times I found Lawrence's acting rather stilted, her character of Joy is a powerful presence and sends a message of hope to many who have thought their ideas weren't good enough.

I give it: ☂☂☂