'Happy-Go-Lucky' review

Sally Hawkins (Credit: Simon Mein/Miramax)

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30-year-old London schoolteacher Poppy (Sandra-Bullock-doppelganger Sally Hawkins) is full of life in a perky but non-annoying way, which inspires affection from some and skepticism from others. The film follows her as she hangs with her roommate/best friend (Alexis Zegerman), takes driving lessons from an angry teacher (Eddie Marsan), flirts with a social worker (Samuel Roukin), goes out drinking, takes a dance class and chats with her sisters.

The buzz: This is a much, much less gloomy affair than writer-director Mike Leigh’s last film, 2004’s “Vera Drake,” and “Happy” is a particularly strange one in that there’s barely any plot to summarize. (Leigh’s known for his often heavily improvised style.) Rather than serving as a film for people who want a clear conflict and resolution, it’s a snapshot of one woman, how she interacts with those around her and how they react to her.

The verdict: Prepare to have your batteries recharged. Absolutely extraordinary in its grounded optimism, “Happy-Go-Lucky” features an Oscar-worthy performance from Hawkins that must not, cannot be ignored. With the slightest grin or clench of the eyes, Poppy reveals exactly what makes her tic, in a way that feels like you know everything about her without actually knowing much at all. There’s a sense that she might want what she doesn’t have, but Leigh questions why desire should mean desperate and why mature means miserable. Joyful but never melodramatic, “Happy-Go-Lucky” discovers the small moments that keep us sane while recognizing the inevitable cracks in the sidewalk, all through a woman who lives like there’s a secret that only she knows.

Did you know? Poppy’s sister Suzy (Kate O’Flynn) provides a great response if someone tells you that you look tired: “It’s just my face.”

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