Although discomfiting to audiences desiring a steady narrative thread (and less accessible to those unfamiliar with Eastern European history and culture), it sustains interest throughout as a devastating critique of Russian society.
Overview
Georgy is driving a load of freight into Russia when, after an unpleasant encounter with the police at a border crossing, he finds himself giving a lift to a strange old man with disturbing stories about his younger days in the Army. After next picking up a young woman who works as a prostitute and is wary of the territory, Georgy finds himself lost, and despite asking some homeless men for help, he’s less sure than he was before of how to make his way back where he belongs. As brutal images of violence and alienation cross the screen, Georgy’s odyssey becomes darker and more desperate until it reaches an unexpected conclusion.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
There are hints of Tarkovsky in the poetic exploration of place and memory and the film is a demanding, difficult work. But the sense of a Dantean journey and a vision of utter hell are powerfully conveyed.
For long stretches, it appears to be a road movie headed nowhere. Still, the detours it uncovers are fascinating.
[Has] a bleak, grotesque, near-perfect poetry in its soul.
The world of "My Joy" is grim, though the experience of watching it and piecing together its fragmented story strands is anything but.
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