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Amazon.co.uk Review
A more upbeat movie than you might expect from Mike Leigh, yet one that finds one of Britain’s finest film directors still on good form. Happy-Go-Lucky follows a primary school teacher, Poppy, played by Sally Hawkins, who has an infectious, positive manner about her. She’s the shining core of the film, an upbeat, happy, yet absolutely three dimensional character.
Poppy’s nature is, inevitably, somewhat tested in Happy-Go-Lucky, not least by driving instructor Scott. Superbly played by Eddie Marsan, it’s fair to say that Scott doesn’t share Poppy’s positivity, yet once more, he’s a frighteningly real character, and at times extremely unsettling to watch.
There are layers to Happy-Go-Lucky, with plenty bubbling on under the surface, yet that there’s no escaping the fact that it is a cheerier movie than Leigh usually delivers. It’s fuelled particularly by Sally Hawkins, who is quite brilliant in the central role, and it’s potentially a career-making performance from her.
Yet, once again, the hidden star of Happy-Go-Lucky is Mike Leigh himself, who has shaped an often very funny film, but not one without some gravitas to it. The man remains a national treasure, and Happy-Go-Lucky is but the latest reason why. An easy film to recommend. --Jon Foster
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), WIDESCREEN (2.35:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Behind the scenes, Featurette, Interactive Menu, Making Of, Scene Access, Trailer(s), SYNOPSIS: If you know the British filmmaker Mike Leigh's work - early and later titles like "Bleak Moments," "Naked" and "Vera Drake" - you may find yourself watching his most recent movie, "Happy-Go-Lucky," with mounting unease, a tinge of dread. Despite the extraordinary human parade that has passed in front of his lens, laughing and raging, yearning for love and asking for cuddles, Mr. Leigh has never been an artist for whom happy (word or idea) has been an easy fit. Life is sweet, as the title of another of his films puts it with a heart-swelling yes, but it's also an eternal fight against doom and gloom, the soul-crushing no. The push and pull between yes and no animates all of his work, investing it with narrative tension and a sense of artistic purpose that is, whether overtly articulated or not, also insistently, vigorously left-leaning. The hard-working and often besieged characters who populate his stories live in worlds partly defined, if not wholly circumscribed, by ideology and the state. Nobody mounts a soapbox or whistles "The Internationale" in "Happy-Go-Lucky," but the film is so closely tuned to the pulse of communal life, to the rhythms of how people work, play and struggle together, it captures the larger picture along with the smaller. Like Poppy, the bright focus of this expansive, moving film, Mr. Leigh isn't one to go it alone. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: Berlin International Film Festival, British Independent Film Awards, European Film Awards, ...Happy-Go-Lucky ( Happy Go Lucky )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
49 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Charming, colourful and insightful,
By Jaybird (London, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Happy-Go-Lucky [DVD] [2008] (DVD)
Mike Leigh is the master of the awkward silence and the cringe, of the emotional distress behind so many people's lives.
On the surface, the relentlessly cheerful Happy go Lucky marks a change from that, because the central character, Poppy, is so irritatingly Pollyanna-ish and upbeat. Sally Hawkins carries the film, showing that behind her silliness and happiness, Poppy is in fact intelligent and sensitive. That said, the whole cast turn in great performances. This is a much more insightful film than might at first meet the eye, fun to watch at the time, with plenty to think about afterwards. Fun and clever - what more ou could you ask for? Shot in a glossy palate of primary colours, the whole film, and London in particular, look stunning. Highly recommended.
30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
See it and smile,
By
This review is from: Happy-Go-Lucky [DVD] [2008] (DVD)
Poppy, Mike Leigh's latest creation, sails through this slice of life with a smile on her face, fun on her mind and kindness in her heart.
Quite brilliantly brought to life by the excellent Sally Hawkins, Poppy has much to be happy about. A true friend, a nice flat in a Finsbury Park, a job she was born to do,supportive colleagues, An enjoyable social life, making her Happy-Go-Lucky. Many could probably act happy for a few hours but Hawkins manages so well to cover all the detail - the eyes, expressions and body language - to show happiness - and never sadness Then there is Scott. When Poppy's bike is stolen (it must have "flown the nest"), she is confronted with Scott (Eddie Marsan) the driving instructor.The very antithesis of happy. Scott is rigid, angry, frustrated, impatient, knotted up and racist. A borderline OCD sufferer, who is tortured by who-knows-what in his past. Scott is the most bitter and overwhelming character in a Mike Leigh film since David Thewlis in "Naked". A towering performance. If Poppy is the light, Scott is definitely the dark, but such dark shadows inhabit the whole of "Happy-Go-Lucky". The unhappy schoolboy, the glum Sister, the social climbing sister who dominates her husband. Little vignettes of irritation and annoyance. The film is at times both lovely and disturbing, life affirming but carrying a caveat that unhappiness does exist in the sullen faces, in madness, in neuroses. Happy-Go-Lucky is a highly enjoyable and often very funny film, but it also carries terrible sadness. I have never been a massive fan of Mike Leigh, but I have to admit that I was wrong. He just seems to get better and better.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Effortlessly simple, yet beautiful - one to watch on a rainy afternoon,
By
This review is from: Happy-Go-Lucky [DVD] [2008] (DVD)
This film is poignant and touching, with the main character Poppy, played by Sally Hawkins bringing in a wonderful performance. It's not about special effects and bells and whistles; it's all about the script and well drawn characters. It is the kind of film that really cheers you up and makes you feel like smiling. Gentle and sweet, with a feel good effect; yet still with a twist Mike Leigh style, in the guise of Poppy's gloriously miserably driving instructor.
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