This picture of Bradley Cooper made last evening better, so I had to share the joy. The trailer for David O. Russell’s Joy dropped, and it features a familiar cast, including Jennifer Lawrence, Cooper, and Robert De Niro. Russell keeps tossing the same actors together in different scenarios. We’ll see how long this formula shall work. For JLaw and BCoop, Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle rode high with Russell. Their chemistry didn’t translate to Serena, but Joy looks like major Oscar bait. Here’s the film’s synopsis and trailer, and we’ll discuss below:
Joy is the wild story of a family across four generations centered on the girl who becomes the woman who founds a business dynasty and becomes a matriarch in her own right. Betrayal, treachery, the loss of innocence and the scars of love, pave the road in this intense emotional and human comedy about becoming a true boss of family and enterprise facing a world of unforgiving commerce. Allies become adversaries and adversaries become allies, both inside and outside the family, as Joy’s inner life and fierce imagination carry her through the storm she faces. Jennifer Lawrence stars, with Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Edgar Ramirez, Isabella Rossellini, Diane Ladd, and Virginia Madsen.
[From IMDb]
This trailer is so dramatic and overwrought that it’s easy to forget that it’s a biopic of the Miracle Mop inventor, Joy Mangano. JLaw cries, dances in snow, cries, wears a leather jacket (this shot seems out of place), cries some more, and shoots a gun. BCoop plays a Home Shopping Network executive who seems very excited about Mangano’s inventions, including the Huggable Hanger. This film seems so maudlin, right?
Joy is presented as a complicated woman yearning to break free from a cookie-cutter existence, and Russell tries to make the trailer groovy by using a Rolling Stones song. Ugh. I’ll watch this movie because of Lawrence (and BCoop, to a degree), but the trailer doesn’t set the world on fire. Oh, and JLaw didn’t even do a proper New Jersey accent. For shame!
Movie stills courtesy of 20th Century Fox
It will be forgotten just like other Russell movies that the Academy jizzes over during the Oscar season but a year later no one even remembers what the movie is about. Look at American Hustle or Silver Lining Playbook.
How are either of those movies forgotten? Especially SLP which I see Netflix use in their advertisements all the time?
It means no one will care about them in 10 years. None of them will be classics. Russell makes mediocre safe Oscar bait movies.
Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder, and the same definitely goes for movies. I think both Silver Linings & American Hustle are wonderful movies, and I consider the latter a modern classic, with incredible performances all around. I enjoyed both of them enormously & I am sure that I will enjoy them just as much if I was to watch them many years hence. However, like all art & culture, appreciating or hating a movie is highly subjective
I’ll watch SLP nearly every time I pass by it. Not sorry!
I agree, Russel’ s movies are nothing special. They get praised a couple of years, and mostly by critics and the awards circles (and there is nothing you can say to make me think that both categories praise movies out of money or popularity and not because they deserve it) then they get forgotten.
Nope have to disagree with the Oscar bait tag. The imitation Game or the Theory of Everything are Oscar bait even Lincoln or Selma I would still kind of agree with but a rom com about two mentally ill people, or a drama about a boxer and his trashy family or a movie about a female inventor of the miracle mop!! That’s not Oscar bait but DOR is popular with the Acadamy.
I agree with Liz. David O Russell’s recent movies have been absolute turds to me, but “Oscar bait” is to me more akin to films like The Imitation Game and Theory of Everything – polished but bland, formulaic material on a weighty topic of historical, cultural or emotional import (WWII, disability, AIDS, homosexuality, slavery, etc).
The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle are dramadies with comedic elements, oddball characters and somewhat quirky plots (in fact, SLP plays almost like a romcom, which is definitely not an Oscar bait genre). Likewise, Joy is inspired by the woman who invented the Miracle Mop – its scope is small-scale, little historical significance, and is led by a woman to boot. I have no doubt O Russell is trying for an Oscar, but his films are not Oscar bait and instead have very distinctive styles, rather than the cookie cutter fare that most Oscar bait films are. I don’t like him as a director, but I’ll give him credit for not taking the easy road to (potential) awards glory.
I have no idea how you two understood I was calling his movies Oscar baits with my comment.
I just said/implied that a combination of his/his actors’ s popularity, massive Oscar/award campaigns, and money from production companies are the reason his movies get awards and praise. Then, after one or two years, people come to realize his movies are shallow (not in a good way) and terrible and forget about them.
I actually agree that they are not intended to be classic Oscar baits (even though this one was promoted as such until two weeks ago)! I do, however, think that if another category of movies were added to the Oscar bait list together with mentally challenged, biopics, people with disabilities, people who are not white, male and straight trying to survive harsh life, and white trash teaching peasants how to use a fork, David O’ Russel’ s movies would be the first to be considered! He doesn’ t make Oscar baits in the classic way, but his movies are still carefully constructed to cash in the biggest number of awards they can.
@JWQ
Ha I actually noticed you didn’t use the word “Oscar bait” before I posted. I was addressing the question in Kaiser’s post (rather than your post) on whether Joy was Oscar-baity, and realised Liz had already made a comment to that effect so I just tagged my response on after hers (hence my prefacing “I agree with Liz”). It is lazy I’ll admit, and I’m sorry if it caused confusion!
Not a problem, I was just wondering if I am really that bad at explaining myself! ^__^
I’m a fan of Lawrence and I already knew that this would be the typical Ocasr bait movie. Will it be good? Maybe from Lawrence (BCoop has a very small role so who knows) but for me this is just all over the place. So not sure if I’ll see it. I loved SLP but other than that DOR is constantly making Oscar bait movies. Add that to the fact that he’s a notorious creep and I hesitate to support anything he makes.
But this might also be the last DOR movie Jen does for a little while. Joy wasn’t such a Joy for her to do.
Hype and acting like you belong there are the first steps to an Oscar nod. And Russell’s films are all slyly packaged as prestige films. I mean for a small example, he throws in a Chris Tucker every now and then, or a friend (like Spike Jonze. Three Kings in one of my favorite films and Russell’s last good one). But it’s hard to even find a non-Oscar winner or former nominee in a lead role in his movies. Or someone who isn’t on the fast-track and Hollywood approved, that the powers-that-be want to sell you on, like Bradley Cooper (and Lawrence for that matter). And Russell’s films are directed by him. (Duh, Amber.) Russell’s one of the 3 D’s, with Darren Aronofsky and David Fincher, in that group along with The Coen Brothers, Paul Thomas Anderson, Tarantino and other critically acclaimed, studio approved, prestige/indie/mainstream, but high-minded, therefore it’s indie filmmakers, where it’s an oddity if their films don’t earn someone an Oscar nod or win. I’m not saying some of them aren’t great filmmakers who earn that rep. Or that some don’t still lean to the side of indie and quirky singularity. But the 3 Ds in particular could all can get an $100 million budget if they wanted it, (and average above $40 million thanks to Noah). And both Fincher and Russell have also developed a habit of employing novels and/or making pseudo-biopics, and their films are expected to make upwards of $120 million at the box office as well. They aren’t (technically or often) period films, or costume dramas or historical biopics. And their films might not be created as bait. But studios sure as hell package and sell these movies as such nonetheless.
@ JWQ – There’s also this increasing gap between critics and audiences in general, but noticeably when it comes to Russell. Even critical consensus gets a little inconsistent sometimes. The Fighter was pretty even with the averaged critical score on Rotten Tomatoes at 91% and it’s audience score at 89%. But Metacritic is a 79% and IMDB votes are at 7.9. Then it gets a little funky with Silver Linings. The RT score is a 92%! And RTA an 86% But MC is an 81%. And their IMDB score is a 7.8. The gap becomes significantly bigger with American Hustle. RT – 93% RTA – 74%, MC – 90%, IMDB – 7.3. His movies make money and critics loves them! However, and especially with his last two, once audiences start to see it there’s a little backlash and ultimately it’s a “Meh”. My mother and brother also LOVED The Fighter, bought it and made me watch it, (it tried my patience). They haven’t watched it in years! And pretty soon I bet it’s going to become a “Christian Bale won for which, what, THAT?!” kind of film, listed in every click bait article about “Oscar winners who won for the wrong films”.
@Amber: the gap between audience and critics is what baffles me more. That’ s why I think critics are not necessarily the best advisors when it comes to movies. Hollywood politics, money, pr, and yes, corruption. Audience might be less “refined”, but no one pays them to say they liked a movie, and even if they are obsessive fanboys, time almost always makes them more reasonable.
Bridget below said that it’ s too early to say for sure if Russel’ s movies are destined to be part of hystory or not, but I don’ t care what people will think 20 years from now. Maybe they will be revered, but there is a good chance that 2035 will have a completely different social/comportamental and political reality, and they will be adored because they reflect their society. However, I live now, and most people, only two years later, think that SLP and AH were only hype and nothing else. To be honest, I think the same of Darren Aronosky and Wes Anderson.
Hey, I still really like Silver Linings Playbook.
I think it’s really hard to tell what will resonate with audiences in the long term. Would anyone have guessed at the time that the Shawshank Redemption would become a timeless classic? But Oscar history is littered with movies that won but are surpassed in the public consciousness – it’s not like The Greatest Show On Earth comes up very often. It’s just the nature of the awards cycle. I don’t think we’re even at a point yet where we can pronounce whether American Hustle or SLP have been forgotten
For what it’s worth though, I can’t stand Russell and would like to see him fall flat on his face.
I’ve got no idea – at all – as I don’t like, and never watch movies. What I want is your expert opinions on this: Has she always looked like this, or is she doing stuff to her face? She looks different. And not in a good way.
If you want trolling, try something good
So sorry, Marie, that didn’t come out the way I intended. What I mean is, I get very jittery in movies, in a very unvomfotable way, so it’s better for me to avoid them. As for JL’s looks, I’ve always thought she was really pretty and the spitting image of an old school friend, but lately, looks different. The hair? Hairline? The lips? Maybe it really is just me… Again, my apologies.
Just less make up. With so many top make up professionals, we don’t actually know how these people really look like.
I loved American Hustle. It totally changed my opinion of Jennifer Lawrence.
I liked AH far more than I expected, too. DOR is pretty hit or miss for me, but I felt the acting – particularly by Adams – elevated it well above any weaknesses in the story.
Oh, I really thought Silver Linings was highly over-rated as a film. I went to see it thinking it would be much more than what it was, disappointing. Also, I think Cooper is over-rated as well, but I feel Lawrence is a worthy actress, even though some of the films haven’t been that great.
A role that should have been played by some actress at least 15 years older than Jennifer.
But in just about 5 years when Jennifer becomes 30, she will FINALLY get to play George Clooney’s mother in a movie. Isn’t that fabulous?
Probably won’t even take 5 years.
LOL. But seriously, she is too young looking to be believed. I’m sure her fans are going to run in here and say how she’s “so mature for her age”, but that doesn’t change that she still doesn’t look believable to me.
Um a lot of her fans (myself included) are sick of DOR giving her middle aged roles. But in this movie she is 27 so its not a huge jump.
Isn’t the character supposed to age tho? I can see that if it spans several years, it would make sense to have a younger actress? I don’t know, but I agree with you. Hollywood thinks 40 looks like 25. This movie looks boring as hell.
The character though a large part of the film is meant to be 27, she filmed it at 24 not really a huge difference.
Her character is 27 in the movie (Lawrence will be 25 in August so not huge gap)
The only thing that got me excited was Isabella Rossellini
Seriously. She looks positively ridiculous. Is Hollywood aware that there are actual actresses over thirty available to star in these roles?
She looks like a young Renee Zellweger in that clip.
This trailer and description seems to be trying really hard to make the story of this woman sound more interesting and exciting than it actually seems to be. The way this trailer looks you’d think this was the story about the mob. I didn’t think this movie sound interesting when I first heard about it and this trailer hasn’t help elevate that feeling.
Yeah, I don’t even know what this glo-mop thingie is.
And am I really supposed to want to go see an inspirational film about the Home Shopping Network ?
I think it looks good. I’m a bit sad it seems like Bradlifer won’t be romantically involved in this one, I love their chemistry.
I think Joy Mangano is from Long Island not Jersey. Thank God J. Law isn’t trying to do that accent.
Because she isn’t playing Mangano. The movie is only inspired by her, isn’t a biopic
The Stones track cost a small fortune. It is always discombobulating to me when I see a Boston area location masquerading as New Jersey in Russell films.
Yeah it’s kind of upsetting (no offense to NJ).
They’re filming Ghostbusters right where my office is in downtown and over on Stuart St…so are they gonna pretend that it’s New York?
Yes, they’ve built a NY subway entrance set right on our streets.
I was constantly distracted during American Hustle. Bale and Renner get thrown out a car in Camden but it’s the entrance to Pi Alley and what is Robert DeNiro doing in the Copley Plaza ladies room? And my elderly aunt got really confused because the house they used as Renner’s was on a street she lived near as a kid
Lilacflowers, that’s interesting because I thought I remembered reading that Joy was from Boston, why they filmed there, but I see now that she’s from LI…
Kitten, I wonder why they’re filming Ghostbusters in Boston and not NY, if it’s just too expensive and difficult there nowadays?
Expense is one reason, tax breaks another – MA offers great breaks and financial incentives to filmmakers.
DOR is obviously fond of his greater Boston shoots and crews, but another reason he uses the area is that it hasn’t developed or gentrified/modernized as fast as NYC and greater NYC has. Many parts of eastern MA look very much like NYC and LI did back in the 70s/80s and 90s, periods where his films are set.
He traveled out to Worcester to film grittier outdoors shots for American Hustle because most of that city still looks like NYC did back in the 70s. (DOR’s quote.)
@Sam, correct. Parts of the greater Boston area remain quite similar to how they did 20-30 years ago, although the city itself has changed and is changing rapidly. While shooting Black Mass here, they had to go out to the suburbs to find areas that looked like Southie in the 80s. The neighborhood itself had changed too much.
As for Ghostbusters, this isn’t the first film Paul Feig has shot here. He filmed The Heat here two years ago – notable for having Sandra Bullock drive north from NYC to the South End of Boston by heading south on route 93 from Somerville, which is north of the city.
For a long time now, Toronto, Vancouver, and Chicago have supposed to fill in for other cities in films. So nice to get some change.
I’m actually pleasantly surprised by this trailer – it looks more dynamic than usual for Russell, and Lawrence is bringing her big game.
I don’t know much about Joy Mangano, but this seems like another role that should have really gone to an older actress.
But overall, I liked the trailer.
The plot is actually more like she’s trying to survive, rather than break out; her grandmother makes adult life sound uncomplicated and tells her everything will be alright, but then she ends up a ingle mom with no money and she had to learn to be strong and fend for herself. I’m interested, looks good, but it needed an older actress. That woman was 35 when she *invented* the mop, so all her HSN success happens when she’s 35 to like 40. Same problem I had with American Hustle, girl was too young acting.
The movie isn’t Mangano’s biopic. The character is only inspired by her. Lawrence is playing a 27 years old woman. It was already explained at Cinema Con and in an article on EW yesterday
I mean, okay, but that’s kind of an easy explanation. It’s just based on her? Every single article about this movie since its been announced has been about how this movie is about Joy; I feel like they realized they were going to get some shit for casting Jennifer Lawrence so they changed that detail. What else about it isn’t the same? Probably nothing except for some minor dramatic dialogue. It has to take place in the same time period because she wouldn’t have blown up the way she did if it wasn’t pre-Internet.
@Sassback
the characters aren’t real. Lawrence’s characther is in jail (Mangano never went to jail) and so on.. This isn’t a biopic ane EW, New York Times and other media said this
The movie called Joy isn’t about Joy Mangano? And just because you add stuff that didn’t happen doesn’t mean it’s not a biopic.
@mark
The character is inspired by her but it isn’t her biopic.
“I wanted to do an epic, unexpected story about the interior life of one woman’s soul” he says of the film, which is due on Dec. 25.
The title also refers to the owner of said soul, Joy (Jennifer Lawrence), a businesswoman who becomes the head of her family at the age of 27. TO CREATE THE CHARACTER, RUSSELL WAS INSPIRED BY REAL-LIFE MOGUL JOY MANGANO AS WELL AS THE PERSONAL FEMALE INFLUENCES OF HIS YOUTH, INCLUDING HIS MOTHER AND HER CIRCLE OF FRIENDS.
This is from yesterday EW article and Fox already said that isn’t a biopic
@mark: I’m guessing it’s more of a reference or jumping-off point than a blueprint.
That, and I suspect the director couldn’t pass up on the simple, catchy irony of ‘Joy’ as a title. Anyone who uses that version of the grandmother’s prediction as the v.o. underlying the teaser is announcing his heavy hand with a sledgehammer.
they actually even changed joy last name in the movie as well so it won’t tie to the real joy. a representative from FOX told a reporter yesterday.
Imdb posters are already screaming 4th Oscar nom for Lawrence. I don’t get it. It looks meh to me.
Looks awesome!
It’s already been explained that it’s not a straight Joy Mangano biopic. That would explain the lack of an accent. It’s just inspired by her story.
Anyway I thought it looked great. I’m excited for JLaw, BCoop and DeNiro.
ugh, deniro, cooper and lawrence again. with the same director. again.
it’s like a worse Wes Anderson troupe.
Sorry, not sorry, I don’t get the big deal with Lawrence. She has a stone face sometimes, I don’t believe her when she’s on screen. I dont think she and Cooper have chemistry that is believable…
I’m just done with her in general. (liked her in Winter’s Bone, she’s OK but overdoes it as Katniss…that’s as far as my compliments go for her)
I love Wes Anderson, Boo!
I love WA, too. My 14 year old son and I were just looking at these coffee table books that featured his films and we were talking about how he creates these entire, amazing worlds. He hasn’t seen all the films yet (not really appropriate) but he has said more than once that he wished there was a way he could live in the Moonrise Kingdom world.
He sounds like a cool kid.
Wes Anderson is awesome.
Wes Anderson >>>> David O Russell.
He is a cool kid, thanks. Sweet, too. 🙂 He had his new “girlfriend” over the other night and I heard a bit of a ruckus in our upstairs hallway. He was trying to get the screen out of the window while having his guitar slung over his back. I asked him what he was doing and he said they wanted to climb out on the roof to watch the sun set. I regretfully put my foot down, saying it was a nice idea but that her mom would prefer her to come home with all her bones fracture-free. I thought it seemed like something the kid in Rushmore might do…
I LOVE Wes Anderson films.
And his troupe is part of the charm.
@Esmom, I wish my husband was half as romantic! =p
Kiddo, I’m with you et alii on Wes Anderson. And there are very real (not always precious) reasons why artists develop a corps or troupe to get the job done.
Missmerry, I appreciated reading your comment, though, because it never would have occurred to me to group Anderson and Russell together; for me, they go about constructing their universes in such different ways – for wildly differing results. I guess I’m willing to follow Anderson & Co. because I think he gets past the stylistic cynicism of the smart observer towards the genuine insular insanity that sparked the instinct to make a film about it in the first place.
I couldn’t be less excited for a David O Russell movie after his last two overwrought, screamy outings.
But am I the only one who doesn’t get the point of this teaser trailer? It is literally a two-minute montage of JLaw carrying a cup of tea, JLaw wielding a gun, JLaw doodling in a room, like watching a pretty but boring home video on fast-forward. It doesn’t pique my interest or tell me why I should be excited to watch this movie.
I’ll wait for the full-length trailer to drop; most of these teasers are quite pointless to me.
Anyway, JLaw is likely to snag another Best Actress Oscar nomination for this. Save us, Carey Mulligan!
Hollywood wants JLaw to be their new movie star and just like with B.Cooper they will hand those Oscar nomination on a silver platter.
I also had no idea what the film was supposed to be about by watching this. Only that life throws this woman some wrenches and that she seems to come out of it sort of bad ass. Trying a bit too hard to be edgy for edgy’s sake, imo.
+1
@Beth No.2
Because a teaser isn’t like a trailer. Its only a brief look at the movie. The trailer will show the story
@Vivianne
Yep I understand that, which was why I mentioned it’s better to wait for the full-length trailer to be released. But a teaser is at least intended to tease, to induce interest in the movie? And I don’t see how this particular teaser does that – it is a series of images/flashes and says little except that she’ll “grow up”, “go to school”, get married and she “doesn’t get what she wants”. It feels very generic (although I suppose JLaw is enough of a star that just showing her holding a teacup would attract some audiences).
It is not a complaint just at Joy btw; I feel most teaser trailers are quite pointless and few are done well.
Btw, even a full-length trailer is not supposed to “show the story!” But I get what you mean. 😉
American Hustle was awful, so the formula already has worn thin.
Speaking of awful…I tried to watch “Serena” yesterday. I couldn’t even finish it. It was AWFUL. Part of it was Jennifer Lawrence was so wooden, but the editing was also horrible. So, not everything she’s in is the bee’s knees.
I rarely hate a movie, but American Hustle made me so bored I was angry, and I purposely fell asleep halfway through it to avoid watching any more. I really like J. Law (she’s awesome in the Hunger Games!) but I thought she over-acted horribly in the few scenes I caught before passing out. Suffice it to say I do not understand the David O. Russel love by the Academy at all.
Looks good and the main character’s personality fits JLaw. This will definitely be an Oscar contender.
Wait, this is a biopic about the inventor of the miracle mop? Huh? I’m sure her life was interesting, but David o Russell levels of interesting? This looks like Erin brocovitch (can’t spell it sorry) redoux.
No, isn’t a biopic. Fox said at Cinema Con that its only inspired by Mangano. Lawrence’s character is fictional
Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper again *yawns*
I’m honestly so tired of these two.
I love the Coop photo*
*but needs more fake baby.
Coop does his best acting…
…with fake babies.
*Most entertaining to me!*
oh man… when we watched it, that was all I kept saying to my husband – LOOK AT THE FAKE BABY! THAT IS SO FAKE!
Haven´t they learned from their last Selena-movie flop? It´s time to move on from the abuser Russell.
And seriously isn´t the story about a single mother inventing a mob more a lifetime movie?
Serena wasn’t a David O Russell film.
The trailer is bad and the movie, judging by it, looks like it belongs on Lifetime. DOR is one of the worst and most overrrated directors and shouldn’t be encouraged by Academy. Although maybe the movie will convince me to JLaw because it looks like she’s not screaming, doing weird faces or attempting to do an accent in this one. If she doesn’t overact badly, like she usually does, her performance in this may be comparable to Winters Bone. Having said that, Academy will be in seventh heaven but I hope it won’t get any Oscars- AH get none and it restored a little bit my faith in this awards (a little bit).
Overrated? To a degree, yeah.
But he’s definitely not “one of the worst directors”–not by any stretch of the imagination.
This isn’t a biopic of Joy Mangano it’s only inspired by her. It was said on EW. Lawrence’s character is 27
I will not be seeing Crazy Eyes. He freaks me out. Pass, but I’m sure everyone in Hollywood will be fawning all over Russell. He is unbearable.
As a NJ native, I’m delighted they didn’t try to do our accent. I am so sick of movies and actors doing NJ/NY drag (like that Joseph Gordon Levit/Scarjo movie or even American Hustle). We are not all that over the top.
This looks like a cute movie though.
The trailer has already 2 Million views in only a day! Impressive
She isn’t doing a proper New Jersey accent because her character isn’t Mangano. Its only inspired by her but it isn’t her biopic. Fox sai this at Cinema Con and in the article on EW yesaterday
I can usually tell a dramatic film is clamoring for an Oscar when there’s a Rolling Stones song, which just comes off as contrived.
I’m so tired of Jennifer Lawrence being cast in roles that for women about 15 years older than her. At this rate she is going to be competing with Meryl Streep for roles soon. Jennifer is young, she should be playing young women. And I cannot stand David O. Russell and his mediocre films, the Academy must watch them while stoned.
Again! She’s playing a 27 years old woman and Lawrence will be 25 this August. This movie is only inspired by Mangano but isn’t her biopic.
It’s funny that the only criticism that is made is her age
Just because they adjusted the age, doesn’t change the reality that Jennifer is frequently miscast. She is going to face backlash if she keeps taking roles that are wrong for her. And the film in general looks like crap, like all of this director’s films. Jennifer’s good movies are Winter’s Bone and the Hunger Games franchise. All the constant pairing with Cooper is just bad, he can’t act and it brings her performance down.
It is a biopic though just because you change a few things doesn’t it mean it isn’t a biopic.
Her character is called Joy Mangano, stop getting angry over people pointing out that she’s miscast. You people treat her like she’s immune to criticism.
@mark.
Fox said that her name is Joy but her surname isn’t Mangano.
That trailer shows that she has two kids for god’s sake, she was so cringeworthy as mother of two in AH, ugh
Thanks a million @Merritt this is now the third time she’s been miscast AND they aged a character down just so she could play it. Those are two separate things to me at this point, ‘cuz I’m not convinced that Russell is the director for Lawrence either, (Oscar be damned. Since when does that mean anything?). So I don’t care, or actually I do care, that they’ve appropriated Joy Mangano’s life to create a vehicle for Lawrence instead of, IDK, just making vehicles FOR Lawrence or casting any of the brilliant 30-something actresses available out there, who are too old to play Liam Neeson’s and Johnny Depp’s girlfriends. But alright, Russell originally offered Silver Linings to the likes of Angelina Jolie and the character was 39. But Lawrence was somehow the next best choice. Ok, fine. It annoyed me that they paid her 21 years the barest of lip service, but I got over it. Jennifer’s performance was also not universally praised and she admitted to not really knowing what to do or understanding that character. But I guess an Oscar erases all that away. (Again, I’m not blaming her. But that should give a director pause when casting someone too young for these roles.) Then he did it again in American Hustle, reversing the ages of the wife and partner to get the casting he wanted. This time it really did bother me. Lawrence looked like a kid, (So what seemed typical H-Wood to cast a college age woman with a nearing middle aged man in S.L., really just creeped me out in A.H.), and I thought she was pretty out of her depth there. It was like Russell asked her to double-down on everything that I felt was overwrought and hammy in her Silver Linings performance. And just think, “Joy” is going to come out a month after the final H.G. film where she plays a teenage girl. And Lawrence in real life acts quite like a teenager in my estimation. I’m only a few years older than her, but none of my 20-something friends do “24” the way people are always claiming that Jennifer is a typical 24. She’s a huge celebrity and we all know what SHE is like. It makes it even more jarring when she tries to pull off roles like this. She looks like a teenager playing dress up, (like she’s underage and trying to get into a club).
@Amber
OMG you’re so pressed! LMAO
@Toniko
I know girls at 25 who have two kids. She ha on child in AH BTW
Thanks @Vivianne, I’m glad I amuse you. I’ll let you get back to leaving more conversation stimulating, helpful, illuminating comments on what a teaser trailer is.
It’s unfortunate when you think about all the talented actresses in their late 30’s who could have done a great job with such a role.
A few months ago I read an interview with Karen Gillian, the Scottish actress who played the 11th Doctor’s companion on Doctor Who. She kept going on and on, raving about how many more roles and how many more opportunities there were for actresses her age in the States as compared to the UK – and I thought to myself, “Yeah that’s because there are no roles for actresses in Hollywood after age 45! In the UK there may be fewer roles at the start of your career, but at least once you’ve established yourself there you can keep working!”
Maybe he keeps using the same actors to make sure that even if the screenplay/trailer is eh not appealing we will still be thinking about seeing it for De Niro, Lawrence, and Coop.
In this movie there are Rossellini, Ramirez, Ladd, Madsen and other that never made a movie with him before
Also, where the h#ll is Lupita? Where is her next Oscar-baity film? Nothing against JLaw. I like her but year after year she is in an Oscar-baity film. Meanwhile I’m undergoing Lupita deprivation. Will JLaw’s management please take over Lupita?
Lupita please come back to the ball
http://www.sohautestyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Lupita-Nyongo-Light-Blue-Prada-Dress-Oscars-2014.jpg
Lupita is in Star Wars. But why are you mentioning her here? Lupita is 32 and she has nothing to do with Jlaw.
DOR barely sticks to a screenplay. He mainly just shouts stuff out at his actors to say as they are trying to concentrate, and they edit him out later.
This and the the sledgehammer comment someone made have me laughing and perfectly sum up DOR.
I liked the trailer , I love it when trailer don’t give too much away. Jennifer looks different in this and It feels like her performance will be a bit subdued as joy. I’m looking forward to it. oh and btw Bradley only filmed for 5 days in this, his role is pretty small and doesn’t have any romantic connection to joy.
Jlaw sounds perpetually congested and it irritates me to no end.
Again David O. Russell had to do a little rewriting as he did in his last two films to cast Jennifer.
Conveniently now isn’t Mangano’s biopic because Jennifer is too young to play real Joy and she can’t do accents.
Yup. I feel like every time he starts out making it a biopic. Falls in love with his actors and changes everything to make sure the role fits them instead of the other way around. Ill give them this. I am of the crowd that is absolutely baffled as to why DOR’s films receive such praise. Yeah sorry guys I do think he can now be classified as overrated, but I will say that some of you gave really good arguments as to why his films aren’t traditional Oscar bait films. I’ll give him credit for that at least he tries new things. I respect him a little more as a director now. And yeah he can make an interesting trailor. The movies are a little harder for me to sit through though.
Or I’m just a sucker for the song.
@The young and the Restless
No, isn’t a biopic because they had change some facts. For example Mangano has never been in prison but you can see Joy in jail in the trailer
I’m just here for Edgar Ramirez. That is all.
I’m not going to knock J.Law for taking older roles, because honestly, what’s she supposed to do? Not work? Do lesser work? Hollywood has a problem with developing strong roles for women. Do you see roles meant for younger actresses that have more substance outside of the usual hot younger girlfriend or YA protagonist? Nope. So If J.law has to take role with some substance that has to be aged down for her, then I’m fine by it and I find this constant critique to be completely missing the point. If J.law turns down a role due to being too young, they are not going to hire a 30-something actress. They are going to get Stone, Mulligan, Woodley, Robbie, etc. instead. Aim the cannons at the studios for their failure to provide roles, not at the woman trying to sustain her career.
This is hardly Lawrence’s only script offer. She won’t go broke turning down a single role.
I feel like most people do criticize hollywood though? Most everyone is saying does hollywood not know there are 30+ actresses that can play this role? The issue really comes down to people excusing it because they love her or ignoring it and trying to explain it away again and again.
I don’t fault her for trying to find work either. It absolutely sucks for women in hollywood, but it’s also not like she’s the only one struggling with that. She’s in such a unique position to be really choosy about her roles. It’s also an unfortunate reality that choosing the role reflects on her and her ambitions. Sorry she wants another oscar. She knows the formula works with DOR. It’s kind of lazy. But I guess she wants to solidify her career so she can be choosy in her roles and what not. Which is fine I guess. I’m much more tired that this stupid formula happens again and again and there’s so little outrage from people. The studios let it happen because people rarely object to it.
Well that trailer looks like a hot mess. The last line made me cringe too
The trailer is very good…I’m in. Yes, Lawrence will likely get a nomination for this film (her fourth!)…amazing. Good for her, she’s a very good actress.
One of the things I like about “JOY” is that it is the best chance for a Best Picture Nominee with a woman in the lead (Sasha Stone from Awards Daily wrote about this on Awards Daily) Stone is aware of course of Suffragette, but doesn’t think it has a chance at BP…she said she has the MOST confidence in JOY. Agreed.
I think Suffragette has a shot at scoring a Best Picture nomination. It is the kind of safe, British prestige drama with an important historical/cultural angle that AMPAS eats up. Though I’d agree that between Suffagette and Joy, the latter has a better shot at winning BP (if it comes to that).
Another film that has a shot at a BP nomination is “Carol” starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. It got a v good reception at Cannes, is directed by Todd Haynes whose last two films have had Oscar nominations, and Rooney also won Best Actress at Cannes.
Yes! Hollywood is finally telling the inspiring story of a woman who invented… a special kind of mop.
*EYE ROLL*
Oy…..I don’t like the trailer. When you have a story about a woman who invented the miracle mop, you need a tight trailer–even if it’s just a teaser. This is not a good trailer. It’s boring and I almost didn’t finish it. I don’t understand how Russel’s films do so well with critics and awards, because I swear…the only one of his movies I like is “The Fighter”…..the rest are just UGH. The cast should’ve been nominated, and that’s it.
And while I like JLaw, she’s not one of those actresses who make me excited/want to rush out and go see her movies. Like if Julianne Moore was coming out with a movie, I’d want to see it as soon as possible. Or if it looked like a bad/boring movie, I’d watch it because I liked her. Not so with JLaw.
I thought this teaser was actually quite good. It does exactly what it’s supposed to. Hype up the movie, not really tell you the story, play on your emotions, make you think it’s some incredible emotional story, and get you excited for the trailer.
I didn’t think it did that. It showed all of what you just said (play on your emotions, etc)…..but nothing about that trailer made me excited to see more. Not even already knowing about the story.
Maybe I’m just a holiday sucker. The trailer has that Christmas vibe to it which wins me over. I always like the trailer for DOR’s films more than the actual movies which are typically for me a snooze fest. Different strokes.
None of these people are a draw for me. The actors rarely are. The idea that it’s a female led driven movie is a draw. It’s the only reason I’d consider paying money to see it. But I won’t because it’ll make a ton based on its stars and directors.
Lol, korra I agree–the trailer for “American Hustle” was AMAZING. I still go and watch it. It’s better than the movie.
She looks like Renee Zellweger, whom I presume would have fit the role better.
Also this seems to me the least necessary biopic ever, and I found the trailer boring.
This movie isn’t a biopic. Fox said this yesterday and also at the Cinema con
From Empire srticle today:
“Originally thought of as a biopic of Miracle Mop inventor Joy Mangano, the film now takes its inspiration from various people – including Russell’s own mother – in telling the story of one woman’s fight through life.“She’s arrested and put behind bars. She’s a fierce woman who’s trying to fight for what she’s done. And she’ll go to any length. She’ll risk anything to get there. And she loses that chapter.”
http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=44885
Mangano has never been in prison. This isn’t a biopic
jLaw is talented and beautiful, I’m just getting tired of her. I have come up with a strange theory since Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Mad Men, etc. unknown, or fairly unknown actors can be much more riveting to watch, because they come with no baggage and you can forget you are watching actors “act”. It’s not even JLaws fault. It’s just that when the same actors are seen again again I just think, for example, “oh, there’s JLaw as fill in the blank”. Or, “oh there’s BCoop with a perm.” I find myself getting bored with the story. I actually fell asleep during American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook. I don’t know how they ended and I don’t care.
Please don’t throw things at me. I will show myself out.
Good point, Cindy. I’m tired of her too. I think she more than any other actor in recent times has been hyped up to ridiculous levels. She’s a decent actress but the hype machine went into overdrive with her.
Well said Cindy, on all points!!!!
I also find it extremely boring to see the same actors. actresses over and over again.
Jennifer has a large fan base (and most of them are pretty annoying)………so it’s obvious Russell would want her to be in more of his films (PARTLY because of that).
It kinda pisses me off when ppl. say it’s safer/ better to choose ‘big name’ actors frequently for most movies because that’s how it will attract more audiences…………….
but that is NOT always true……………….
and yes, TV series like (Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Walking Dead ETC) have proved that that statement wrong to an extent……….(sure there are some well known actors in there but there are also MANY unknown actors who are now getting their chance in the spotlight)
Even the Harry Potter movies as we all know had many unknown actors/ actresses and look how well the 1st movie turned out and the rest was history, with the movie franchise making billions of $$$ for Warner Bros Studios.
Love the trailer!. Of course, everyone’s mileage may vary, but this trailer kicked ass for me. Judging by the positive reaction from critics and holy shit over 2 million views on YouTube I’m not alone.
Yup…Lawrence is definitey getting an Oscar nom for this performance. Awesome!.
Think this crowd is over-exaggerating. The trailer looks decent and its a woman’s story. Lots of a**hole directors – Joy looks great as a trailer and can’t wait to see the film. Jennifer is a great actress, annoying and all.
This looks so good! Say what you want about Jennifer Lawrence, but this girl is smart to go for rich Meryl Streep and Jessica Lange type parts at her age after Hunger Games made her a big star.
I’m not normally a huge DOR can, but this trailer looks more promising than I expected – and Lawrence is going to kill it.
Incidentally I think all the comments here about her being miscast are off the point. It’s not a biopic, so her age isn’t an issue – and since the film wouldn’t have been made without her, she’s not stealing anyone else’s roles. And while I think Russell’s films are over-rated, he’s still a better film-maker than 95% of the others out there.
Finally, I had a good chuckle about a few of the comments above claiming Lawrence is ‘blank-faced’ as an actress – come on people, if you want to bash someone at least write something that isn’t obviously nonsense!
I’ll pass, it looks as dumb as all of his other films (SLP was completely and utterly over rated IMO for example).
Isn’t she too young to have such regrets? I can’t take a woman whose skin has the elasticity of a child’s very seriously.
This is getting too incestuous. They are all in too many movies together, pretty soon no one will be able to suspend belief and take their characters seriously.
Lawrence’s character is also inspired by Lillian Vernon who started the first mail order catalogue
http://www.empireonline.com/features/joy-trailer-breakdown
It’s so clear that this isn’t a Mangano biopic
Honestly I like that Jennifer Lawrence stretches okay? Like bitch WORKS.
Look at the garbage that other girls her age are doing. Look at how other girls her age throw away their careers with both hands with scandals. Jennifer Lawrence works and tries.
That being said she “tries”.
I don’t actually like her. This movie looks wack af and like something I will lay through in the middle of the night when it comes on HBO in two years and I can’t sleep. Can’t stand Bradley Cooper. He looks so stiff.
God I’m so tired of this pairing, enough already, people (me) are going to get sick of these two and won’t even watching the movie because of it.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz