Happy-Go-Lucky chronicles several days in the life of Poppy (Sally Hawkins), an intensely cheerful London primary school teacher. As she takes driving lessons from a bitter instructor (Eddie Marsan), attends a Flamenco class, parties with her roommate Zoe (Alexis Zegerman), tends to a troubled student, and visits her married sister Helen (Caroline Martin), her irrepressibly sunny disposition affords her both happiness and a few unexpected confrontations.

The authentic performances director Mike Leigh coaxes from his always talented cast is easily the most impressive thing behind his latest dramedy. However, the characters themselves are often so depressingly enthusiastic that the heavy realism between their conversations is lost to their ability to annoy general audiences not accustomed to such presumably unrealistic personas. Undoubtedly people like Sally Hawkins’ Poppy do exist – but watching them in a film is not nearly as much fun as mocking them in real life.

And real life is a subject closely examined in Happy-Go-Lucky. Constant attempts at realism are evident, especially in the way Leigh directs his actors – starting without a script, having the characters only ever interact with others as they would in the world of the story, and keeping the actors ignorant of any of the plot elements outside of what their characters would know about. And yet with all of the so-called realism, much of it is too hard to buy. Poppy’s ability to shut out all of the negative influences on her permanently cheery disposition is commendable, but when she arrives in potentially dangerous situations, it borders on simplemindedness. Fear for wellbeing is something Poppy’s chipper attitude doesn’t account for, though it does provide a wide spectrum of her unbiased tolerance to all.

Poppy’s character is an infinitely intriguing one as her extreme enthusiasm and optimism rarely affects others in a predictable way. A bookstore clerk seems perpetually annoyed, a social worker charmed, her sister Helen reacts jealously, and her chiding taunts and jokes to the pessimistic Scott causes anything but the desired effect. Even with several negative responses to her delighted demeanor, she never allows such criticism to change her outlook on life and her accomplishments. In this world of eccentric characters that Mike Leigh has created, perhaps Poppy is the most normal of them all.

- The Massie Twins

Read the Exclusive Interview with Director Mike Leigh

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