Review of Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) by Mikey M — 22 Apr 2009

Mike Leigh, as per usual, has enough about him to make this an interesting film and I can't fault the acting. The problem with it is that it doesn't really go anywhere.

I found the first fifteen minutes to be intensely frustrating (I don't know if anybody in the world could immediately be so nonchalant about having their bike stolen). The film goes on to raise some interesting issues, but it is ultimately a character study which has a walking contradiction as the protagonist - she understands precisely how to deal with wayward children, but cannot seemingly understand right from wrong when learning to drive.

Poppy isn't so much happy-go-lucky but rather insanely annoying and her inability or unwillingness to distinguish between the two is never really raised as an issue. She does have an apparent pause for consideration of her actions after her bust up with the driving instructor, but her pause distinctly lacks a suitable pay off. Sure she has a good heart but ultimately she doesn't change throughout the course of her journey, so what is the point?