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Directed By
Mike Leigh
Written By:
Mike Leigh
Cast:
Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan, Sylvestra Le Touzel, Elliot Cowan, Nonso Anozie, Trevor Cooper, Stanley Townsend, Sinead Matthews, Samuel Roukin, Tim Glanfield, Alexis Zegerman, Andrea Riseborough, Kate O'Flynn, Sarah Niles, Joseph Kloska, Philip Arditti, Karina Fernandez, Jack MacGeachin, Oliver Maltman, Caroline Martin, Rebekah Staton
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Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)
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Movie Review by Jesse
December 14th, 2008
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Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)
director: Mike Leigh
starring: Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan, Alexis Zegerman
Mike Leigh is a brilliant director and his talents have never let me down. Ever. From his masterful film Naked, his Oscar-nominated Secrets & Lies, his eccentric Topsy-Turvy to his heartbreaking Vera Drake, Mr. Leigh has always hit the right chord. This time around, Leigh has given us another gift. Its name is Happy-Go-Lucky and I cannot say that any other film this year has made me happier. The heart and soul of this film comes from the stunning performance from Sally Hawkins. She is a wonderful performer and has a unique style of humour that could win over anybody.
Mike Leigh certainly knows how to direct his women. To me, he is the British version of Pedro Almodóvar. They work with women as if they were women themselves. They know women, they understand women and they appreciate women. This is all evident in their films and it is not left out in this one. This film has a heart and it really made me laugh, cry and feel good about myself. Sally Hawkins gives the best female comedic performance of the year and she should be remembered for a long time for being one of the cutest movie characters ever.
The scenes between Poppy (Hawkins) and her driving instructor, Scott (Marsan), are brilliant. They work together so well and their final "showdown" is one of the best scenes in any film this year. The juxtaposition between the characters is what makes this film thrive and I give great congratulations to Mike Leigh for his fantastic direction and screenplay. This film is being recognized for its originality, its direction and its actors. Zegerman and Marsan won British Independent Film Awards for their performance and Sally Hawkins has been raking in the awards for her performance as well (most notably the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and a recent Golden Globe nomination).
This is similar to Mike Leigh's previous films, but altogether different at the same time. This holds a lot more humour than some of his previous work, but does have its moments of drama. If you're a fan of Leigh, you need to see this. It's a vital part of his repertoire now and he should be proud of this film. Watch for this film come January when the Oscar nominations are announced. Be sure to see Sally Hawkins on the ballot because this is a performance to be never forgotten!
Grade: A-
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