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

BURNT - review

BURNT
Director: John Wells
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Daniel Brühl, Omar Sy, Riccardo Scamarcio, Matthew Rhys

Synopsis: Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper) is a chef who destroyed his career with drugs and diva behaviour. He cleans up and returns to London, determined to redeem himself but spearheading a top restaurant that can gain three Michelin stars. 

I had heard that this was the most authentic kitchen movie that had been seen for a while, from a friend who is a chef. I had also heard that the film was "intense" from some random cinema patrons who overheard me picking up my tickets. These were two of the better comments I'd heard about the film. Critics have been panning this film, calling it a "kitchen nightmare" along with all manner of other ridiculous food metaphors. I went in with an average expectation of what the film might be, but high hopes of what I would see from such a strong cast.

Off I went on Friday night, way past my bedtime, just hoping that the film would be enough to keep me awake as I settled in with a half full cinema (not a great sign on opening weekend) to see Cooper take on the role of a determined man with everything and nothing to lose. Adam Jones calls in every favour that he has, which is almost none and sweet talks himself into revamping a top restaurant in London to get his third Michelin star. He has burned almost all of his bridges over the years, by being a drug addicted, hot headed diva with all the talent and none of the self-control. Claiming he got everything he ever wanted too early and didn't know how to handle it, he's cleaned up his act and is back with a vengance. He wants nothing more than to get his third star and he will need to best of the best to help him get it.

Bradley Cooper as Adam Jones

image via The Weinstein Company

He recruits some old friends from his Paris days, a young upstart with a spare room and a talented chef (who he gets fired from her current position). The competition is fierce, his past is laden with drama that is chasing him down (and by drama I mean a drug lord who he owes a shit-ton of money to), it was really out of the frying pan and into the fire for this chef. There's also the guy whose life Jones' ruined and so is now repaying the favour, and the girl who love-hates him and the guy who just plain loves him. Unfortunately for Cooper and the rest of the cast, this film only scratches the surface of what could have been a truly dramatic masterpiece. The scenes in the kitchen are some of the most realistic scenes I've seen in a kitchen movie, including all of the food wastage.

Omar Sy and Sienna Miller - making magic in the kitchen

image via The Weinstein Company

Credit where credit is due, the cast truly were fantastic in this film, they really showed depth of character particulalry given that they were all given something deeper and yet never really had the chance to explore it for us. I think that's what I found the most disappointing about this film, there was so much more there and the tiny glimpses you got were enough to make me sad that I wasn't seeing any further into these people's lives. Don't get me wrong, I totally get that you can't go into everything in a film or we'd be there forever, and BURNT was already close to two hours in length, BUT, if you're not going to let me eat the whole damn dish, don't let me taste it, it'll only make me mad.

There's plenty to like about BURNT and if you can get past the lack of depth that is shown in this film, then I think you might really enjoy it. Sadly I don't think it's going to go that well at the box office, so if you do want to see it I would get in quick, I think it will have a relatively short run. If you're a Bradley Cooper fan, or you just like kitchen dramas then sure, it could be worth paying 20-something dollars for, but I'm not conviced it was worth it.

xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell