I saw Joy in the last few days of last year with my family. Coming out, I commented that while I enjoyed it, it was perhaps the most average film I'd seen all year. Not, as in, "that was okay" (saw plenty of "okay" films) but everything about it was just...average.
Review pretty much sums up my feelings, though I haven't seen any of the director's other works. If anything, have to compliment de Niro though, how he can cover Rudy's persona (in this film) and play a completely different character in The Intern just as well.