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.

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.

My mom told me to watch this movie and honestly great decision. In times like this movie felt like a warm, emotional hug.

The message this film embraces is so powerful and meaningful. And for me, it felt really personal.

I am a ivf baby and seeing how difficult and cruel it was to be involved in this project makes me so thankful for the movie.

Ultimately life is about choices and everyone should have the right to have as many as it is possible. The movie points this out amazingly.

I'm so thankful that this amazing interesting story is being told and I am so grateful for their work, sweat and dedication, I wouldn't be here if it weren't because of them.

It is pretty absurd how people are so blind and ignorant on unknown matters, yet so ready to judge and be inhuman to others, just because of their personal beliefs. Looking back and forward, people haven't really change and that's one of the biggest issues in the present world.

It is crucial to understand why this movie embraces so much of the lack of care for the woman's rights to their body nowadays.

So much opinions on what should people do to their lives. (If you're like that go get a life to complain about)

(One bitter note) Surly if the "team" was given the best of resources and support this could've helped so many more families.

So happy to be part (kinda) of such a wonderful advance and I carry this with me in the best possible ways.

Thanks Bob, Patrick, Jean and so many others for never giving up on people.

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!

Joy is the story of the development of IVF, and specifically the role of Jean Purdy in that world-changing process - a woman whose contribution to the research and treatment was too often written out of history. That a woman's contribution should be written out of this, of all stories is of course a deeply ironic injustice; and the film is seeking to do for this injustice what Hidden Figures did for a similar injustice in the history of the American space programme. Thomasin McKenzie is excellent - as she usually is - in the lead role, and Bill Nighy is well used as one of the surgeons. The story is, of course, inspiring and uplifting, but I can't help but feel that such a remarkable and important story deserves a better film. It's fine as it is - and it does improve as it goes on. But the script in particular does too much exposition, especially in the early stages; some of that may be felt to be necessary in a story that science plays such a role in. But the result is that it takes too much of its running time to really feel emotionally engaging. More character depth, a little more nuance in some of the issues the story raises would have led to something that felt even more worthy of the remarkable raw historical material. The process is interesting - but this is fundamentally a story about people. And whilst it's hard not to be moved by the end of the film, I can't help but wish for a production that was more emotionally engaging throughout.