JOY - review

Director: David O. Russell
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Édgar Ramírez, Diane Laid, Virginia Madsen, Isabella Rossellini, Dascha Polanco, Elisabeth Röhm

Synopsis: JOY is the wild true story of Joy Mangano and her Italian-American family across four generations centred on the girl who becomes the woman who founds a business dynasty by inventing the Miracle Mop and becomes a matriarch in her own right. 

Ahhh Boxing Day, my favourite day of the year. It's new release movie day, and it's always been my favourite day. It was my favourite day when I worked in cinema and it's still my favourite day. It's the day that all the big new releases come out. The much anticipated films that everyone's hanging out for. When I worked in cinema, I used to get sneak peaks of everything that was coming and it would make me even more excited. Now I just wait with the rest of the world to see what Boxing Day aka New Release Day has in store for me. This year there were no massive titles coming out, STAR WARS was released a few weeks before Boxing Day, there was no HOBBIT film or HARRY POTTER instalment, no huge titles to speak of, but I was mighty excited about a couple of films that were due out and JOY was one of them.

A great ensemble cast that did their best

Image via 20th Century Fox

I dragged my butt out of bed on New Release Day even though I'd worked on Christmas Day and was pretty exhausted, because I wanted to be in amongst the madness that is the busiest day in cinema. The 10am session of JOY was relatively quiet - most people were probably still nursing their food babies and Christmas hangovers, but I was ready, and let me tell you, I was slightly disappointed. I have to agree with a lot of the critics out there, the question has finally been answered, Jennifer Lawerence can actually be in a film that's kinda shitty. There, I said it. She tried, lord knows she tried, but even she couldn't salvage this mess.

The storyline was all over the shop, Joy was pure victim, the struggling divorced mother of two who cares for both her parents and her ex-husband, who somehow managed to invent a wonder mop after cutting her hands wringing out a regular mop by hand. The film should have been incredible - it was brought to us by the team who gave is SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK and AMERICAN HUSTLE - I had certain expectations of its greatness. I wanted it to be great, and perhaps that was my problem. Perhaps I went in with the bar set too high, but whatever the reason, I didn't love it and I wanted to.

Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper couldn't save this mess

image via 20th Century Fox

The film opened with a disclaimer that the story was inspired by great women everywhere, like David O. Russell was trying to tell us his intentions were good, but that what we were going to see was a pile of crap. I ignored that warning and still hoped for the best, but the narrative was meh, and the acting was some of the worst I've seen out of any of this incredible cast. Shame, shame I tell you. Some parts of the film were truly laughable, and all the while Lawrence was trying to wring out every last bit of sympathy she could from the audience. I really feel for the actors in this film, they can only do so much with what they've got, and they didn't have much.

The narrative we open with from Joy's grandmother Mimi (Diane Laid) is quickly forgotten and when it returns later in the film it is intrusive and doesn't fit with the film. There are a few little side plots and twists that don't fit nicely within the storyline, that just complicate it and make you wonder why you're seeing it at all. Then we finish with Joy walking down the street after saving her entire empire all on her own putting on her hip sunglasses with her home job haircut and leather jacket that goes for what seems like years before we have the weirdest epilogue.

before the longest walk ever

Image via 20th Century Fox

I don't think that JOY is going to get a particularly long run at the cinema, so if you are wanting to see it, get in quick. I would guess 3-4 weeks at best, with limited sessions in the last couple of weeks. At 2 hours and 4 minutes, it's a long time to sit if you're not going to be completely wowed by a film, so unless you're a die hard fan of J-Law and Bradley Cooper (who we definitely do not see enough of to make it worthwhile) then I wouldn't rush out to spend your 20-something dollars on this film. Sorry Jennifer, lord knows I'm a fan and I think you're wonderful and that you can do no wrong, but even you couldn't carry this film.

2.5 out of 5

Xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS - review

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
Director: J.J. Abrams
Cast: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, Mark Hamill


HERE'S A TIP - If you haven't seen STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS yet, STOP READING NOW. I can't promise that there isn't anything in here you would consider a spoiler. In fact it's safe to say there are things in here that will spoil it for you. So, if you haven't seen it yet - STOP READING.


*****************************SPOILERS AHEAD***********************************

I MEAN IT GUYS, STOP READING...

OK, so if you're still here then you've clearly either seen STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, or you don't care if something I say might spoil it for you. If you're frightened of spoilers, then run, run far far away.

It's been a while since I've taken myself to the cinema and seen a film. That's the real downside of working in tourism, we are gearing up for our busiest time in the lead up to Christmas and I don't get to have anything that remotely resembles a life for about 4 weeks from mid-November to mid-December. So in the last 10 days I've gone and seen 3 films just trying to catch up. First cab off the rank had to be STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS because I didn't want it ruined and I know a few movie ruiners (purposeful movie ruiners and accidental movie ruiners). As is the norm I toddled off to my local cinema with my crochet and settled in for an evening of magic. I took my brother along with me, who is a "take it or leave" kinda guy when it comes to STAR WARS (don't ask me, I don't get it myself), so I will share some of his opinions as well as my own.

Just a reminder guys - SPOILERS AHEAD

THE FORCE AWAKENS has smashed all the box office records, and is still going strong, opening to 97% positive reviews (note that I made that number up, but it's probably pretty close to the truth). There are a few negative Nancy-pants out there, and some of their points have validity I guess. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a negative Nancy-pants, I really enjoyed the film, but as devil's advocate I can see where they're coming from.

For example, Salon said that "For better or worse - and here's where my hoodie-wearing friend's thought experiment comes in - "The Force Awakens" is more like a remake or a mashup of the first two "Star Wars" pictures than a sequel. Yes, in technical terms Abrams and co-writers Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Arndt are picking up the narrative some 30 years after the destruction of the Galactic Empire at the end of "Return of the Jedi". But they barely even pretend to advance the story of the initial trilogy; they rewind it and repeat it, with new characters substituting for old ones but many of the same action set-pieces, narrative dilemmas and hidden connections." I can see where they're coming from, what with the blowing up of planets, and the father son dramas in reverse, and the Leia-Solo tension. I mean really, there is a lot of same same but different about this latest instalment.

HOWEVER, there wasn't a moment when I wasn't entertained during this film, and there wasn't a moment where I was bothered by the same same but differentness of the film. Really, everyone pissed and moaned like a bunch of babies when the prequels came out because they were all kinds of wrong(and let's be honest, they weren't that great), and now they're pissing and moaning like a bunch of babies because it's too much like the original films. Get it together people, you can't have it both ways!

J.J. Abrams has done a really great job with the direction of this latest instalment, and he really kept the momentum of the film going. There is enough in the film that the kids of today can get into without having seen the original films, but it will still peak an interest to get them to go and watch the films because of the snippets of history. Particularly when these guys enter the scene;

Han Solo and Chewie

Image via Disney

General Leia

Image via Disney

C3-PO & R2-D2

Image via Disney

Hello old friends - and I tell you what, if Harrison Ford didn't just steal the show...What a guy. And just for the record, I'd like to know what happened to C3-PO's arm guys...it's red and we got no explanation...what's that about?

The new characters had some pretty big shoes to fill and some pretty high expectations to uphold and I'll be damned if Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Adam Driver didn't do it. But oh the uproar at a black Storm Trooper. There were legitimately people who were trying to encourage a boycott of the fil because there was a black Storm Trooper. Honestly, what has the world come to *face palm*. I really think that these three key characters brought a bit of life into this film, but the winner for me was BB-8;

BB-8

Image via Disney

Seriously, what a great droid. He may have gone on my Christmas wish list. I didn't get it, but I'm pretty sure I was on Santa's naughty list this year.

I'm not sure how I feel about a different director for each new instalment, I think it's going to change the feel of the film, and I did really like what Abrams did with it, but I will of course reserve judgement until I see the next one (in 18 months or so...ugh).

Oh my glob you guys, there's a black guy in space - shock horror

Daisy Ridley and John Boyega on the run

Image via Disney

There were a few moments where I thought "oh man, I know what's going to happen next" and I was right. Like the Han Solo-Kylo Ren scene...I predicted that was what was going to happen and I was a little bit disappointed when I was right. Also, I was sad, a tear or two may have escaped (don't judge me, I know I wasn't the only one). But, there were also plenty of moments where I thought, "really? How? Why? What?" Like how did Maz Kanata have the light sabre? And was Jar Jar Binx on the planets that got destroyed? He was a Senator after all.

2015 will always be remembered as the year of the Star Wars anticipation, and I hope it breeds a new generation of lovers of the franchise. Even though I have no doubt the kids of today will scoff at the ridiculous looking SFX of the original films, I hope they grow to love them as much as I do. Although if you're anything like the Red Haired Amazona and I, you pretty much believe that if kids today don't love Star Wars then their parents haven't raised them right.

Overall, even though there was a bit of recycled material in there, I think Abrams and co have done a marvellous job with THE FORCE AWAKENS, some have said that J.J Abrams is God, and although I'm not sure I'd go that far, it was pretty bloody good. I will be going to see it again at the cinema, so that's gotta be a sign. If you're into the whole STAR WARS thing and you haven't already seen the movie, then you're a fool and you should definitely spend the 20-something dollars to go see it immediately (also if you're one of those people and you're still reading, sorry if I ruined it for you, but I did warn you). If you're not huge on the idea of STAR WARS, but you like a good sci-fiat ion film then I think it's worth you spending the 20-something dollars on to go and see it. You I got be surprised. Also, you might hate it, but there were people in there who had never seen a STAR WARS movie in their lives and they enjoyed it, so it can't be all that bad.

4.5 out of 5

xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell