Happy New Year to all those who still follow my blog after a long while of not posting anything at all. Hope all of you had a great start to 2016!

This new year, the first movie yours truly decided to watch is Joy, starring Jennifer Lawrence. Since the first month of the year is always what I would call the Oscar month, I’m pretty sure this will be nominated for an Oscar for some acting awards and/or Best Picture though the latter is quite unlikely as there are probably better contenders out there.

Anyway, first review of the year…

Joy is loosely based on a Joy Mangano, an American inventor and entrepreneur who are known for inventions like the Miracle Mop. In the movie, Joy is a self-made millionaire who created her own business empire. However, as she is a woman in a business world filled with lots of testosterone, she went through a lot of obstacles, coupled with the fact that she is a divorcee with two children, has a very messy family structure and no business sense.

This movie is, for what it is, very inspirational. Who does not know Miracle Mop? I have to thank her because if not for her, I would still be kneeling down on the floor, wringing my mop dry and feeling icky and sticky afterwards.

A little sidetrack there…

Anyway, the movie has an A-list cast of Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro and Bradley Cooper. The on-screen chemistry between Jennifer and Bradley is undeniable. I swear, I thought there would be romance between the two characters they played but alas, unlike the other movies starring these two, there aren’t any here. They are like the new Leo-Kate. Anytime they are on screen, you can almost hear the audience heart-eyed. Individually though, they did their characters justice. Jen played the struggling single mother really well while Brad acted like a jerk in the beginning so well that I almost threw my bottle of water on the screen. Robert DeNiro as Rudy is equally brilliant as the father of Joy, partly humourous and partly an asshole.

But aside from the acting, I’m not sure if this movie is memorable enough. Honestly, I almost forgot what the movie is about. Don’t get me wrong – I like that it motivates me, especially as a woman in the business world. But it’s quite forgettable. For a movie that’s an Oscar contender, it lacks that by a mile. I still remember Dallas Buyers Club or The Theory of Everything because they gripped my heart and soul. But Joy, other than being inspiring, it’s easy for one to forget about it. So, I’m not sure if this will do well in the awards. Acting, yes, but mostly due to the pull of Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. Otherwise, no.

I give this movie a 2.5 out of 5. It would have been a great movie with such a great cast but it lacks that wow factor.

Trailer…