MO' MOVIES: "HAPPY GO LUCKY"

 

2008 written and directed by Mike Leigh. Many of Leigh's films are gritty, grim depictions of working class life in Britain. While well-written and well acted, they can be a bit of a bummer. I started watching this film half-holding my breath wondering if and when, after all the cheerfulness, the other shoe was going to drop. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is one of the lightest films made by Leigh. Starring Sally Hawkins as the lead named Poppy (a nice pun), who is the embodiment of the title to the point where, in reality if you had to work with someone like this, she would be quite annoying as well as endearing. That's part of the mastery of writing here-we've seen plenty of situations similarly presented with predictable and negative outcomes-Leigh plays with this and flips the tables of expectations on us. There are some v serious scenes and events interwoven adding a tad of vinegar to temper this sweet confection. Fold in the realization that a mainstay of Leigh's films is improvisation by the actors, you begin to grasp just how good this film is. There are some intense moments (and extraordinary acting) that reveal that underneath Poppy's sunny disposition and outlook, lies real strength and true courage, namely her nighttime encounter with a homeless man. There's quite a bit of subtlety in the acting, writing and direction-sometimes just a look that adds depth to a character. A very enjoyable film.