New Movies: Poor Cow

"Gawd," says Joy, as she walks wearily home through a London slum to her sordid flat and the petty thief she lives with. "If anyone saw me now, they'd say, 'She's had a rough night, poor cow.' " She has had more than that. But no need to worry; the important thing about this poor cow—and this film—is that the rough nights and days cannot get either of them down. Despite its scruffy scene and downhill theme, Poor Cow is not really another of England's angry proletarian tragedies. The film tells its story with humanity that is never sentimental...