Poppy always puts a smile on your face ....... |
North London Primary School teacher Poppy Cross appears to
have one main aim in life, to make everyone she comes in contact with happy,
the young children she teaches, Zoe her flat sharing best friend, her two
sisters, the slightly out of control younger sister Suzy and her married sister
Helen who is heavily pregnant and lives in a semi detached on a moderately new
estate in Southend–on-Sea with her husband. In fact every one of her close
circle of friends and work colleagues all seem to love this attractive bouncy,
zany, full of life 30 year-old Londoner. Well that is until she decides to take
driving lessons after her beloved bicycle is stolen. Her instructor Scott turns
out to be a very uptight individual and Poppy’s bright disposition only makes
things worse.
...except when it comes to her driving instructor! |
Happy Go Lucky (2008) is a British comedy drama written and
directed by Mike Leigh and a film I have enjoyed many times since its cinematic
release. The utter enjoyment of this film comes from Sally Hawkins performance
as the unique free spirited, openly generous and funny Poppy spreading warmth
and humour like a Pied Piper of Finsbury Park. Her performance lifts the role
above the simple comedic into the realms of an inspired character study.
Hawkins had previously worked with the director in two other films All or Nothing (2002) and Vera Drake (2004) as well as being
nominated for a Best Actress Award in such films as the excellent Made
in Dagenham (2010) and Richard Ayoade debut film Submarine
(2011). As is normal with Leigh’s film’s the casting is excellent,
especially Eddie Marsan (Tyrannosaur
2011) as the bigoted driving instructor whose relationship with Poppy is
central to the narrative. This is an
honest and humane portrayal of modern cosmopolitan London life about openness
and love and a film that I can promise will lift your spirits even on the darkest
of days.
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