Joy

A current Netflix original movie about the movement to get IVF (in vitro fertilization) across the finish line during the 70's in Blighty. A pair of scientists, James Norton & Thomasin McKenzie, team up w/a doctor, Oscar nominee Bill Nighy, to begin the process of bringing heretofore barren women pregnant using their new method but due to the tenor of the time (the religious right found the act sacrilegious while the medical establishment felt if a woman couldn't conceive, it was her lot in life) presents more challenges than the actual breakthrough they'd struggle to achieve over the course of a decade. McKenzie herself, very standoffish w/her incoming test subjects & dealing w/her own mother's vociferous opposition to her work, soon starts to sympathize w/her subjects' plight opening herself to them while her comrades endure the trials of Job to get some success. A fairly standard take on a tumultuous topic is buoyed by the 3 leads performances which give a voice & face to a procedure which is pretty commonplace nowadays (hell a friend of mine had it done!) making us second guess the ease in certain medicial things we take for granted.

As a grandfather of two delightful children born as a result of my daughter's IVF treatment I found this to be a fascinating and moving film to watch. The lead actors all gave excellent performances and the story was well told. I well remember the publicity surrounding Louise's birth as my son was born a few months later. Other reviewers have pointed out some inaccuracies in the story but not knowing those didn't detract from the enjoyment of the film. The perseverance and dedication of Patrick Steptoe, Bob Edwards and Jean Purdy to develop the techniques required to succeed was well portrayed as well as the difficulties they faced with opposition from the church and medical establishment together with the sensational reporting of the tabloid press.

The film follows the journey of the three people - visionary scientist Robert Edwards, innovative surgeon Patrick Steptoe, and pioneering nurse Jean Purdy - who teamed up to make the procedure a reality, with special focus placed on the often overlooked role Purdy played in the breakthrough. As someone who is currently 34 weeks pregnant through IVF after years of infertility, I found this film deeply moving and beautifully documented. It gave me a renewed appreciation for the people who have made IVF possible. While my personal experience might make me a bit biased towards this film, I'm confident this film will resonate with anyone who has undergone infertility treatments. Highly recommend!

I can't believe fifty years ago people were against babies being born. We've clearly come very far both in terms of medical advancements and critical thinking and we still have a long way to go, but fifty years seems not that long ago.

Also, I can't believe Jean's mom. Hardline believers are mystifying for sure. And I wonder how much of Jean's life in this movie is fiction for the sake of the movie. Anyway, it's such a shame she died so young, I'm sure there was so much more she could have accomplished.

I didn't find this boring at all. I know most people find it lacking, but I didn't. It's a good story. It's amusing again that the actors look nothing like the actual people they're portraying, and you can see where I'm going with this. But I'm part of the audience that likes to see attractive and well put together people on screen, so I'd be a hypocrite to complain, right? Also, at this point Bill Nighy makes any movie better just by sitting there.

Joy is a straight down the middle rendition of a life changing breakthrough in science and the struggles to achieve it when so many people are against its existence. It's a classic example of a true story that changed everything being turned into a film as formulaic as possible. Thanks to a very charming cast and the emotional heft that just comes with telling this fact based story competently it remains a really good watch.

The three leads are all great. Thomasin McKenzie gets the most to work as this is her film from her perspective. The struggles she has come from every angle and her perseverance only makes it more investing. James Norton brings a lot of energy as someone who has a real desire to make the world a better place which makes it heartbreaking to see him feel defeated. Bill Nighy is in fine form thanks to another one of his lovely genial roles he's becoming increasingly popular with.

Ben Taylor's direction brings a nice amount of playfulness to the visuals early on before quickly devolving into something a lot less noticeable in an inoffensive fashion. It starts off with an unexpected Richard Curtis feel that soon disappears but it maintains a sturdy and well made quality throughout. The soundtrack contains a few well implemented songs that enhance the generally warm nature of the film and match the perfectly chosen title.