Happy-Go-Lucky

(2008)

Directed by

Mike Leigh

Review by Todd Plucknett

Mike Leigh’s new film Happy-Go-Lucky is one of the most enjoyable and absolutely hilarious films of the year. It features top notch characters and gets the audience caught up in its web of undeniable infectious charm. It will likely be one of the best times you will have at the movies this year.

The story revolves around Poppy (Sally Hawkins), a thirty year old woman who is unapologetically cheerful, energetic, and who thoroughly loves everything about life. Happy-Go-Lucky is really a mix of episodes of Poppy’s life all wrapped into one lively package. She is a grade school teacher who has one troubled student who keeps getting into fights. She falls for a social worker (Samuel Roukin) assigned to the troubled student. She is the flat-mate of ten years of her best friend Zoe (Alexis Zegerman), who she may or may not be in love with. After getting her bike stolen, which hilariously does not even take a chip off of her optimism at all, she enrolls in a driving course with a morose instructor Scott (Eddie Marsan). She also has a very dark and interesting encounter with a seemingly insane, yet strangely deep, homeless man (Stanley Townsend), and she has an awkward visit with her irritable pregnant sister. The funniest moments are when Poppy goes to her flamenco lessons. It is hysterical to watch her first reactions to the awkwardness of the program and the people involved in it. Essentially, there is very little story going on in this film. It really just focuses on its irresistible lead character, forming a brilliant character study that is both insightful and incredibly enjoyable. It is not your typical Mike Leigh film on the surface.

This film is driven by Hawkins’s star-making turn. She had previously been in two Leigh films, with one highly impressive smaller role in Vera Drake. This role is so far from that one that she will be almost unrecognizable in her attitude and characterization. It is one of the most difficult roles imaginable. She knocks it clear out of the park and actually makes you want to spend more time with her. Initially, she could be considered irritating, but by the end, it is almost impossible not to be completely entranced in her character. Hawkins clearly deserves a nomination for this. Roukin adds a fine and subtle performance and has some interesting chemistry with Hawkins. Zegerman is very strong, but she is blown off the screen when on with Hawkins. Townsend is crazy in his small and mildly haunting role.

The best supporting turn easily comes from Marsan, though. His versatility and persistence really give his character a significance that is hard to shake. He is a firecracker of initial hilarity and a tormented soul whose final breakdown with Hawkins is among the greatest acted scenes to grace the screen this year. He matches everything Hawkins does with a brutal honesty and deeply-drawn distress. During the scenes where these two hypnotic characters share the screen, all Poppy wants to do was cheer this man up. Scott just wants to do his job, but with the persistent forcing from Poppy to gradually reveal details about himself, he eventually grows some sort of a fascination with her, which conflicts with his being almost completely repulsed by her optimism, which he takes as carelessness. The realization Scott gives Poppy about her tendencies when meeting new people is the glaring sign that the genius who brought us Secrets & Lies actually was present in this film. On the surface, the film is giddy and energetic, but at its heart, it is thoughtful and touching.

This is the best film I have seen from Leigh (though I admit to not having seen Naked and Topsy-Turvy yet). It is a fantastic character study of some irresistible characters, which seems to be Leigh’s specialty. There are some scenes that are undeniably brilliant, and there are some that are just there for laugh’s sake. That’s perfectly fine, though. As Poppy said in response to being told that she can’t make everyone happy: “There’s no harm in trying, is there?” Well, she definitely succeeds in making the audience happy. I would go so far as to say that it would be nearly impossible to leave the theater without a smile on your face. It will be a smile of admiration for the brilliance of the film, a smile due to reflecting on lovely moments throughout the film, but most of all, a smile of joy. When a film can successfully bestow that feeling on an audience with depth and intelligence, it is the mark of greatness. This film defines that trait.

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