Drama

Wildgaze Films

Pathe

United Kingdom

English

Bill Nighy

James Norton

Thomasin McKenzie

Charlie Murphy

Rish Shah

Cecily Cleeve

Eoin Duffy

Mariam Haque

Abbiegail Mills

Olivia Sellers

Joanna Scanlan

Tanya Moodie

Ella Bruccoleri

Douggie McMeekin

Miles Jupp

Louisa Harland

Toby Williams

Nicolay Shulik

Adrian Lukis

Surinder Duhra

Robert Wilfort

Ruth Madeley

Josephine Jones

Jemima Rooper

Lydia Jones

Lyllia-Rose Redmond

Alice Bennett

Carla Harrison-Hodge

Elliot Bird

Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins

Harriet Cains

David Atkins

Heather Agyepong

Justin Edwards

Suzanne Burden

Mark Sainsbury

Mairi-Clare MacLean

Anastasia Hille

Richard Durden

Pip Torrens

Nicholas Rowe

Simon Paisley Day

Eleanor Grace

Ashna Rabheru

Emily Fairn

Madeleine Shenai

Peter Sandys-Clarke

Michael Keogh

Glenn Cunningham

Ben Crowe

Ben Taylor

Jack Thorne

Finola Dwyer

Amanda Posey

Cameron McCracken

Erin Millican

Lucy Bevan

Beth Timbrell

Steven Price

Jamie Cairney

David Webb

Olivia Grant

Alice Normington

Thalia Ecclestone

Lissa Lamona

Sarah Kane

Sinéad Kidao

Lance Breakwell

Nirvana Jalalvand

Alice Man

Tara McDonald

Polly Duval

Angharad Batten

Andrew Balcon

Noel Cowell

Neil Glynn

Ged Henshaw

Marlow Hope

Wesley Huggins

Henrike Knappe

Andrew Matthews

James Kirby

Imogen McGrath

Rebecca Sutton

Zoe Freed

Glenn Freemantle

Glen Gathard

Andrew Gaidanov

Steve Hancock

Ian Morgan

Fergus Pateman

Nina Rice

Alex Robson

Mike Tehrani

Jasper Thorn

Mike Crowley

Arthur Turner

Danny Hills

Graham Hills

Chris Reynolds

James Woods

Kye Mckee

Nikita Mitchell

Roy Taylor

Shibbir Ahmed

Francesca Amoroso

Damien Ansell

William Ansell

Simon Atherton

Christopher Barber

Maya Bell

Kerry Brown

Jamie Bruce

Shane Button

Tom Callander

Phil Crothers

Thomas English

Sarah Gardiner

Luke Andrew Haddock

Ruby Carmen King

Harrison Lanigan

Ngawang Lektso

Theo Milford

Thomas Moss

Ian Pearce

Dashnor Qarkaxhiu

Adam Smart

Luke Stone

Tom Walden

Tony Paul West

Sam Whittingham

Simin Zeng

Mo Yusuf

Sim Zeng

May Evans

Ophelia Akande

Emily Chicken

Amanda Cox

Stacey Cain

Henry Isaksen

Ajay Lotay

David Butterworth

Kle Savidge

Bradley Farmer

Brendan O'Gorman

Danny Woodland-Payne

Emma Hazell

Francesca Jaynes

_Joy_ directed by Ben Taylor, delves into the overlooked story of Jean Purdy, a key figure in the creation of in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The film not only brings to light Purdy's often ignored contributions but also serves as a critique of the long-standing marginalisation of women in scientific breakthroughs. It aims to reclaim a narrative that has historically sidelined the role of women in such significant achievements.

Ben Taylor's direction chronicles the groundbreaking development of IVF with an approach reminiscent of a sports film. Though the audience knows the outcome—over two million children have been conceived via IVF since 1979—the film immerses you in the highs and lows, triumphs and failures, leading to the birth of Louise Brown, the world's first "test-tube baby."

Thomasin McKenzie's portrayal of Purdy stands out, adding depth to a character who faced significant professional and personal challenges. Bill Nighy offers a memorable turn as surgeon Patrick Steptoe, blending compassion and wit. At the same time, James Norton brings warmth to the role of scientist Robert Edwards. Together, the trio captures the tension, camaraderie, and determination needed to challenge societal and scientific norms.

The film's strength lies in its focus on the procedural breakthroughs and emotional and ethical dilemmas its protagonists face. It frames the IVF journey as a collective struggle against deep-seated prejudices, balancing moments of triumph with the harsh realities of rejection and scepticism. However, some aspects of the storytelling feel superficial, and the film needs to fully dive into its characters' complexities.

The marginalisation of women in the scientific and medical fields is an ongoing issue. Historically, many female scientists have been overshadowed by their male counterparts. For example, Rosalind Franklin's pivotal work in discovering the structure of DNA was primarily credited to James Watson and Francis Crick. Similarly, the film _Hidden Figures_ brought to light the incredible contributions of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson—African-American women mathematicians at NASA—whose work was crucial to the space program's success but went uncelebrated for decades.

_Joy_ is a commendable effort to highlight an important figure and the persistence required behind one of modern medicine's significant achievements. While the film has flaws, it succeeds in shedding light on Purdy's legacy and the crucial role of women in scientific innovation, ensuring their contributions are finally acknowledged.

Best Movies

Joy

Cast & Crew

Videos

Cast

Bill Nighy

James Norton

Thomasin McKenzie

Charlie Murphy

Rish Shah

Cecily Cleeve

Eoin Duffy

Mariam Haque

Abbiegail Mills

Olivia Sellers

Box office

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