‘Joy’ is a 2015 movie directed by David O. Russell, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and Robert De Niro. However, this isn’t the first time the four have been together in a project. The last two David O. Russell movies, American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook, also starred Lawrence, Cooper, and De Niro. ‘Joy’ earned Lawrence her third Golden Globes award in the “Best Actress” category.

The film is a semi-realistic biography of businessman Joy Mangano, who is turning 60 on February 15^th. Mangano is a divorced mother of three who invented the “Miracle Mop,” and many other helpful products designed for women like her. Released on Christmas 2015, the movie generated almost seven million in the first day, and with steadily increasing sales reaching a current total of 72.6 million.

The best part of the movie is Jennifer Lawrence. She gives an exceptional performance as the titular Joy Mangano. Her grandmother on her mother’s side, Mimi, narrates the movie. The movie opens with Mangano and an assortment of her family living in an apartment in Quogue, New York in the late 80s. Her family is very manipulative and tries to takes credit for anything for she creates or does. She aspires to be an inventor and her grandmother supports her in her pursuits. She’s very bright and after cutting her hand on glass, she invents a mop that can wring itself. The movie follows her struggle to trade mark her designs and work with her family who at times try to take credit for her success.

I thought that the movie was really good. It made me want to cry at times and felt really good when Joy Mangano succeeded. Lawrence’s character was well developed, likeable and raw at the right times, and this made it easy to bond with her. De Niro and Cooper were good as the supporting characters Rudy and Neil Walker collectively.

I thought that ‘Joy’ was good, but it wasn’t worth paying full price for at the movie theatre. I would recommend renting it once it comes out on DVD or watching it on Netflix.