AVClub: Loosely inspired by the life of Joy Mangano, inventor of the self-wringing Miracle Mop, David O. Russell’s latest continues the writer-director’s post-comeback run of movies about dreamers and go-getters thwarted by doofus relations, though it can’t seem to make heads or tails of its headstrong heroine. With the exception of Three Kings, Russell’s movies have never been that focused on plot, sometimes coming across as though they were figuring themselves out as they go along, part and parcel to the filmmaker’s habit of making script changes on the fly and his longstanding preoccupation with self-actualization and therapy. But Joy lacks the crucial epiphany point, and ends up feeling incomplete—and not in the manner of, say, a work of art denying closure. Rough even by Russell’s standards, this grab bag of dropped plot points, visual metaphors, and theatrical cues looks like the underdrawing of a comic drama, only half covered in bright impasto strokes.
With the new The Crow remake coming soon, we take a look back at the 30-year-old cult classic original–and where the stars are now.
Kaam Chalu Hai Review: Based on true events, this movie is thought-provoking and inspiring
Rebel Moon Part 2 Review: This movie doesn't feel anything new or worth remembering, which is a shame.
