My Joy

To start with, for direction, cinematography and photography this is a very very beautiful film. The plot tells a tragic story that crosses the trip of a truck driver, a story of violence, moral and material poverty, injustice, corruption, which will involve himself too as a victim.

My Joy is a combination of several stories, centered on a period of the life of a truck driver, who looses his way in the road and comes to some events that ruin his life, leaving him as an insane and mindless man. It is a dark and cold movie, artfully made, concentrating on the wickedness of the people in a society, esp. wickedness which comes from abusing the power mostly among police forces and army men. It also portrays a society in which most people don't care to others and only seek their own interests. We see different periods of times, past and present, and different characters that are woven to each other beautifully. In whole, a very good yet cynical, sad and dark film about human's evil and violence.

No Sergei Loznitsa...it was my joy. In his first fictional feature Loznitsa captures in a Kafka-esque adventure the joys (few they may be) and ills of post-Communist society. It is scathing, funny, horrifying, insightful and everything in between. The writing is impeccable and never dips off or drags for a moment. I watched this film when it was first released and there was no doubt I would watch any and everything Loznitsa would make.

Three main issues = (1) Incredibly irritating to follow unless you know beforehand that the movie is composed of a series of short stories from different time periods. What adds to this problem is that the characters are mostly rough looking bearded Russians sometimes shot in dim light, therefore, it's hard to tell when a new character is being introduced or if it's the same rough looking bearded Russian as before. (2) The short stories themselves aren't really stories but a series of violent occurrences. (3) Since the film is not plot driven it must be making some type of statement or social commentary; unfortunately, that statements been made many times before in better fashion.

This is a rich, beautiful, sad film. A really brilliant take on Putin's Russia. As for the critics who think it's a "mess" or doesn't have much to say, "POOH" to them. Again I have to say this: just because you don't understand something doesn't make it a bad work of art. I've noticed a lot of people on this website really lash out at films they don't understand. It doesn't make you look smart, believe me. I don't know if I fully understand what this movie is saying, not being from the Ukraine, but that just makes me want to re-watch this beautifully made film. It obviously isn't for people who need constant action or a Hollywood ending, but I think the world will survive without another film like that.