In this paean to determination and sheer exuberance, Simcha, the title character of Joy, embarks on an attempt to reunite her parents with their estranged friends on the occasion of their upcoming 25th anniversary. She is aided in this effort by the glamorous but ditsy star of a reality TV show called "Gotta be Happy." The delightful Sigalit Fuchs lives the role of Joy as a younger Camryn Manheim, before Manheim, of The Practice, became permanently ensconced in her hardened bitch goddess persona. With her expressive clown face and eyes and her large body leaning into the wind of disappointment, Simcha survives the ineptitude and unhappiness that threaten to swamp her. She overcomes her married lover's exploitation, her brilliant brother's downfall, her parents' deteriorating condition and relationship, even the rudeness of the family friends she attempts to bring to her parents' party.
This is truly a film about happiness as the script by Omer Tadmor dramatizes Joy's persistence rather than her travails and infuses the stories of the parents and the brother with humor. Julie Shles' direction creates stunning moments of lyricism reminiscent of visually beautiful moments in Fellini's Roma. Particularly noteworthy are the nighttime scenes in the mall, as Joy's admirer, the mime, whisks her about in a magical ride, but the roadside reconciliation scene in the rain between Gil and his wife is also memorable.
The ending offers more poetry but withholds a clear resolution. Despite that, what stays with the audience is the wonder that underlies even mundane behavior and the knowledge that Simcha will continue to draw sustenance from her basic nature. While the translation is unable to convey as successfully as the title character's name does this optimism, the film suggests via their names that the other characters will also head in good directions: Yitzchok, the father, is "laughter," Chaya, his wife, is "life," Gil is also "joy," and Noah and Maya imply peace and contentment. Perhaps that is the point of the romanticized endingthat humanity and humor can overcome hardships and transform harsh reality into moments of flowing enchantment.
