I just finished watching Happy-Go-Lucky
The film starts out with Poppy blissfully happy yet seemingly unaware of the world around her- she attempts to engage a bookstore clerk in conversation and doesn’t even seem to notice that he has no interest in talking to her. When her bicycle is stolen, her reaction is to say “I didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye”, then enroll in driving lessons. She agrees to accompany the headmaster of her school to Flamenco dance lessons, exercises by jumping on a giant trampoline, even tries to cheerfully deal with a class bully.
Slowly, however, the real world begins to intrude on Poppy’s enthusiasm. She encounters a homeless man, witnesses the Flamenco dance teacher’s emotional meltdown in class, discovers the real reason her pupil is hitting other kids, and in the most surprising element of the film, finds that her driving instructor Scott is a seething ball of hatred and anger. She takes one driving lesson a week, and each subsequent lesson reveals more and more of Scott’s paranoid, intolerant view of the world and the people in it.
The last few scenes of the film show Poppy finally having to face that not everyone is as happy as she is. I was completely unprepared for her final confrontation with Scott, and found myself on the edge of my seat waiting for her to finally explode with frustration. Instead, she manages to diffuse the situation with a calm tenderness, but her final scene showing her walking home from the encounter leaves one wondering if Poppy will continue to view the world with such optimism. I’d like to think she will.
Did you see Happy-Go-Lucky? I’d love to know your thoughts about it, please leave a comment!
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I think she shrugged it off and went on with her life. My husband couldn’t stay awake during this movie but I thought it was really interesting. It was kind of like what would happen if my five year old never grew up, got jaded, etc… engaging but also rather irritating.
Mike Leigh’s films are always thought-provoking.
I haven’t seen it, but I just may have to after reading your review
A friend recommended this film to me not too long ago and I found it hilarious. I agree with you, Poppy’s final confrontation with Scott was quite surprising.
I did not watched this movie but I like action films and I will certainly buy it.
From your review I think that Poppy is a strong one, there are only a few people nowadays who are not like that. Will be worth watching.
I’ve seen the movie and I think it’s not that she doesn’t know the world is not such a happy place as she is. She knows about bad stuff around the world but decides that seeing the world through pink sunglasses is the best way to go in life. She doesn’t run away from problems (the child, the instructor), she tries to deal with them, but keeps a happy face while doing that. But it’s quite an annoying happy face, have to admit that
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I’ve bought it some time ago and it’s been sitting on my tv ever since. I think I’ll give it a go as soon as I come home today.
My wife has been wanting to see this movie and I’ve been resisting. Looks like it’s not so bad after all… boy will she be surprised that I’ve had a change of heart!
I haven’t watched it but I think it is interesting. I must buy one of it…