Chattanooga Pulse

Written by Jonathan Malcolm Lampley
Tuesday, 25 November 2008 19:28

Editor’s note: We’re thrilled to see that we are actually getting this independent film this week here in Chattanooga. If you are a Mike Leigh fan, don’t miss this one. And for once, you don’t have to travel to Atlanta or Nashville to see the film.

English filmmaker Mike Leigh has carved an impressive reputation among critics-if not necessarily mainstream fans-with his small, intimate dramas like Vera Drake and Secrets and Lies. Happy-Go-Lucky, his latest effort, is a much lighter affair, but like Leigh’s other works, it contains a strong central performance that will likely win his star various “Best Actress” nominations. The film is worth a look, although it would be a lot better if it were about 20 minutes shorter.

Sally Hawkins stars as Poppy, who’s 30, single, and a schoolteacher in London. Poppy is also indefatigably optimistic-always smiling, laughing, and trying to brighten everybody’s day, including that of her longtime roommate Zoe (Alexis Zegerman). However, Poppy is so upbeat that she sometimes gets on other people’s nerves, especially those who see in her positive attitude evidence of an overgrown adolescent who refuses to grow up. When her beloved bicycle gets stolen, Poppy decides it’s time to learn how to drive. Unfortunately, her instructor, Scott (Eddie Marsan), is as pessimistic and dark as she is optimistic and light. Opposites attract-but the results aren’t always as positive as our heroine.

There’s no doubt that Sally Hawkins is a treat as Poppy. The actress perfectly captures the character’s upbeat nature and succeeds in making her endearing as well as exasperating. Unfortunately, Leigh’s character study is so slow moving, so bereft of action, that the frustration the other characters feel towards the protagonist quickly becomes our own. Happy-Go-Lucky runs almost two hours, and it is filled with scenes of Poppy hanging out with her friends and family that simply don’t add anything to the plot or to the development of the character. A more compact film would make the same point, but more effectively. Then again, maybe a less cynical viewer will find Happy-Go-Lucky charming just as it is.