HAPPY-GO-LUCKY

Mike Leigh's 2008 film is one of the best I've seen in a long while.  It's an insightful journey into the world of Poppy, an ever-positive, funny, and goofy woman whose undying optimism both inspires and infuriates those around her.  We travel with her through her wild nights out with friends, her silly girl-talk sessions with her sisters and flat mate, her adventures in elementary school teaching, and her dabbling attempts at romance.  But it's the darker experiences, the ones that shake her, that reveal the most about her uncommon wisdom.  

Sally Hawkins is unforgettable as Poppy, but equally stunning is Eddie Marsan as the embittered driving instructor Scott.  Their relationship is a microcosm of the dialog of the entire film, and when the two personalities crash we can't help but be blown away.

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY does what most of my favorite films do: establish a tone and texture based on the main character's sub-culture or perception of reality, and then throw it into disarray by exposing them to a conflicting worldview, or merely through the "piercing light of reality."  Leigh manages to take what some would consider a superficial, or just plain obnoxious, woman and transform her into a fascinating individual with whom we not only empathize, but learn from.