Movie - Joy (6½/10)

There is no joy in this film, but I guess I knew that before deciding to see it.The trailer shows Joy as being a ballsy woman kicking arse. In the film, she is a wet blanket.If only more of the film portrayed the stronger character. The trailer makers knew that was the only good bit and that’s what sold it to us. That and De Niro’s lines which resulted in all my laughs during this long film.Joy is from the dysfunctional family that is so often portrayed on film. This time with parents divorced from each other and from any form of reality. Joy is also divorced but is friends with her ex who lives in her basement of the house she shares with her two young children. It puzzled me why we only saw one of them – the other was always hidden from the cameras. Her mother also lives with her. As a child, Joy invented stuff and her Grandmother (also a resident, I think) encourages her to get back to what she loves doing. After her father takes up with a wealthy widower, Joy convinces her to invest in her mop invention. What follows is something of a farce with the investor forcing Joy’s hand at every turn and her father and somewhat defensive half-sister backing the widower.At one point, Joy flies out to the manufacturer the widower has chosen for her to find out why they keep putting up their prices but not delivering (see, wet blanket) and there is a secret door in the toilet that takes her straight to the bit the manufacturing men don’t want her to see. Come on!The best ‘Joy’ scenes are those of her trying to sell her product on TV (how did she manage that gig?!)Having said all of that, I’ve just moved into a new home that (as yet) has no carpets so I need that mop where the head comes off and you can bung it in the washing machine.6½/10 Not as annoying as American HustleSmile factor 6/10 (De Niro’s lines)