Happy-Go-Lucky

Mike Leigh has done a fascinating thing. Never before have I been, at times, so uncomfortable with such a lighthearted and humorous film. And that is a good thing. I think that was how I was supposed to feel. Happy-Go-Lucky, or more appropriately the main character Poppy, is out to both entertain and analyze aspects of human nature. Poppy is always happy, but not in an annoying way, or based on some ridiculous illness. She makes the most out of every situation, and never takes anything too seriously. And because of this, I found myself oddly uncomfortable at moments when Poppy would react in a way opposite of what I would expect. And the best examples come from her interactions with Scott, her driving instructor. He is a hard-ass, who has trouble accepting Poppy's personality, while she constantly challenges him about his. The story isn't so important to Happy-Go-Lucky, but the characters and their interactions are. Sally Hawkins does a fantastic job with Poppy, which is a role far more difficult to pull off than one might think. Happy-Go-Lucky is an interesting film, definitely worth seeing once, but one must beware: Scott endlessly shouting Enraha will engrave itself into your mind, making driving an interesting chore. Consider yourself warned.

Genre - Comedy (3)

Screenplay (2)
Acting (4)
Production (2)
Directing (4)