Happy Go Lucky!

Sometimes you walk out of a movie theatre absolutely blown away by what you’ve just seen, either because the story was so engaging, the characters so alive and compelling or the dialogue so fresh, clever and witty. Not often, but sometimes you can even find a film that brings all of these elements (and more) together into a true cinematic tour de force.

Special K and I both walked out of the theatre last weekend after having seen the British film, “Happy Go Lucky”, feeling like we had just had exactly that experience.

This is SO much more than just the “feel good” movie of the year. Sally Hawkins deserves an Oscar nod for her portrayal of the ever-optimistic Poppy, whose undying positive outlook gets on the nerves of many of those around her. In the opening scenes of the movie, you’re not sure what to think of her because she’s so quirky, but by the end of the movie, you wish she was your best friend.

Eddie Marsan also delivers a perfectly tense and anguished performance as a London driving instructor cum conspiracy theorist/uber-pessimist. The juxtaposition of these two characters illustrates just how important perspective is and reminds us that life is too short to be unhappy.

I can’t recommend this film highly enough. In these tough economic times, the key messages of this film are very timely and refreshing. And even if you don’t want to see the film at such an analytical level, I guarantee that Poppy’s antics and witty repartee will make you double over with laughter.

And that’s definitely worth something.