The Citizen Review " A man goes to the movies. A critic must be honest enough to admit that he is that man." -Robert Warshow

"Happy-Go-Lucky"

By Matthew Meriwether 7/30/10

Happy-Go-Lucky is an introduction to one of the most unique and genuine characters I've seen in a long time. Poppy. This is the world through Poppy's eyes. And usually, it can be quite happy. However, this isn't the most happiest film around. This film is about Happiness and how people react to happiness. And not everyone is as happy as Poppy is.

Happy-Go-Lucky doesn't really have much of a plot. Which is part of the beauty of it. It's simply looking at average situations that could happen to anyone. Because Poppy is just an ordinary person. She's a primary school teacher who shares an apartment with her best friend and rides her bike everywhere.

In the first scene, Poppy's bike has been stolen. "We didn't even get a chance to say goodbye." says Poppy to herself. She then takes up driving lessons. Her driving instructor couldn't be more opposite to Poppy. He's humorless, angry and sees the worst in people. Poppy tries to lighten him up. But it's to no avail. There's also a little romance in this movie. But like I said, there's really no plot, and trying to make one would be pointless.

Poppy is played by Sally Hawkins in one of the best performances of the decade. And yet, no Oscar nomination. When will the Academy learn? She creates this character with subtle quirks and plays her with such breathless effervescence, you just can't take your eyes off of her. Sally has played her fair share of supporting roles in other British films, but in this one, she shines. And in return, so does the movie.

You can see the greatness of the film, just by seeing the way people react to it. I was on Netflix, and saw the comments from users about the film. Almost every single one of them hated it. They said that Poppy was obnoxiously happy to everyone and even when she was in a horrible situation, she was still happy as a clam. And yes, Poppy is happy. But part of the greatness of the film is seeing how people can react to happiness. It's almost like a wake up call to America. "Hey America, lighten up!"

Happy-Go-Lucky has an ease of it's greatness. It's easy to miss. But it's there. Just seeing these real characters live and interact as normal human beings, without plot twists and chase scenes, is like a breath of fresh air. I've seen this movie countless times, and I never get tired it. I smile bigger and bigger every time I see it.