My Joy Reviews
Harlequin68
Super Reviewer
May 7, 2013
Okay, so far, not so bad, with the movie serving as an allegorical rumination on all that has not changed from the old Soviet Union to the new Russia, starting with random identity checks because nobody is really sure who anybody is anymore. Along these same lines, at a scene where the characters are talking about a war, it took me a minute to realize which war. But while it is okay to play with reality a little, here it goes too far which causes the movie to lose the narrative completely, making it almost impossible to follow for a good deal of its second half, which is an accomplishment for me, and not even remotely in a good way.
In "My Joy," Georgy(Viktor Nemets), a truck driver, is minding his business on a normal haul when he picks up an old man(Vladimir Golovin) as a hitchhiker who regales him with tales of the troubles he had getting home at the end of the Great Patriotic War. When Georgy futilely attempts to get diesel at a gas station, the old man simply walks off. Later, Georgy gets stuck in a traffic jam caused by an accident where a prostitute(Olga Shuvalova) who claims she is 18 tries to drum up some business.
Okay, so far, not so bad, with the movie serving as an allegorical rumination on all that has not changed from the old Soviet Union to the new Russia, starting with random identity checks because nobody is really sure who anybody is anymore. Along these same lines, at a scene where the characters are talking about a war, it took me a minute to realize which war. But while it is okay to play with reality a little, here it goes too far which causes the movie to lose the narrative completely, making it almost impossible to follow for a good deal of its second half, which is an accomplishment for me, and not even remotely in a good way.
fuckyou123451
November 17, 2012
This movie was AMAZING. Very very dark. And no, that is NOT Zach Galifanakous on the cover.
September 8, 2012
In a word its harrowing. I started watching it and couldn't stop until the end, it does get a little weaker towards the end but the cinematography and acting keep this movie interesting from beginning to end.
September 4, 2012
I am totally amazed at the high ratings for this movie. The only word to describe this movie is terrible. First, it is in Russian with English subtitles. Second, it is impossible to follow the plot. Our best guess is that there were a number of flashbacks from the present back to the end of WW2. Third, I think the director tried to be "arty" by having long scenes with no dialogue, just flashing between faces in a crowd. By long, I mean this went on and on. This movie is by far the worst that we have seen in a long time. It was so bad - boring, slow, pointless and dark - that we gave up after about an hour. No way were we going to waste any more time.
May 17, 2012
Se você tiver que ver esse filme veja com um bom amigo/amiga e de preferência com uma(s) boa(s) dose(s) de vodka. Documentos!
May 12, 2012
Preciso rever o filme. Sem plateia.
Definitivamente, a sessão de hoje de âMinha Felicidadeâ? entrou no rol das minhas experiências surreais, categoria âcinema ou teatroâ?. Está lá, juntinho com a já infame história do Homem da Lata de Leite Ninho e a sessão de Gritos e Sussurros no Cine Arte UFF. O filme já à (C) tenso, uma mistura de Funny Games e Dogville on crack; pegar uma plateia complicada, beirando a psicose e ver o conflito explodir exatamente no fim da última cena do filme foi... bem, surreal.
Preciso rever o filme. Sem plateia.
366weirdmovies
Super Reviewer
March 29, 2012
A melange of scenes, drifting back and forth between post-WWII and the present day (often without warning), featuring crooked cops, child prostitutes and thieves. The stories all document corruption in Russia and Ukraine and argues that it's deep-seeded in the national character; unfortunately, most of them wind up as inconclusive misfires, and the fatalistic sameness of each episode quickly grows wearying and---yeah, I'll say it---a little boring. May require two viewings to figure out what's going on here.
April 1, 2012
I loved the narrative style which often brought us into scenes before the film's primary characters arrived. The effect was disorienting and jarring, which beautifully mirrored the journey of the truck driver. Further, Loznitsa possesses a distinctive and engaging visual sensibility, while the narrative exploration of the dehumanizing effects of violence and the abuse of power offer a bleak jolt to our understanding of the world.
April 26, 2011
in an out of time yet contemporary Russia, a regular guy faces dramatic situations. each situation leaves it's mark, each is avoidable yet fatalistic.
October 23, 2011
A bleak Russian dream that feels like it never ends... smattered with a few beautiful story strands... and when it finally does end you want to blow your fucking brains out.
October 3, 2011
Pra quem tem saco de assistir atà (C) o fim, recomendo com todas as forças.
Trágico, divertido, estranho e violento como a maioria das obras de escritores clássicos da Rússia. Um filme que não poderia ter sido feito em nenhum outro lugar no mundo.
Pra quem tem saco de assistir atà (C) o fim, recomendo com todas as forças.
