Camden New Journal - Movies: HAPPY-GO-LUCKY

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The Review - AT THE MOVIES with WILLIAM HALL
Published: 17 April 2008

Sally Hawkins plays Camden primary school teacher Poppy in Mike Leigh’s Happy-Go-Lucky

Star Sally gets her lucky break with Mike Leigh

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
Directed by Mike Leigh
Certificate 12

SHE breezes through the streets of Tufnell Park on her bike like a breath of fresh air. Poppy (Sally Hawkins) is an irrepressible primary school teacher with a gift for making the most of life, and she spreads warmth and joy wherever she goes.
If this sounds a bit schmaltzy, fear not. Carefree Poppy refuses to get dragged into the moods of her sister Suzy (Kate O’Flynn) or bored flatmate Zoe (Alexis Zegerman), and blithely goes her own way.
If she appears not to take anything seriously, behind the sparkle lies a committed and compassionate tutor, who researches bird life for her class and keeps a watchful eye on her own young flock, instinctively realising when they’re in trouble.
She has a wicked sense of humour, too, producing a breast implant in front of a noisy hen party with the words: “Lunch, anybody?”
There’s wonderful support from the often under-rated Eddie Marsan as a dour driving instructor who refuses to be captivated by his effervescent pupil, while Karina Fernandez sets the screen alight as a fiery flamenco teacher.
Mike Leigh is not generally known for his humour, and dark moments inevitably surface. So it is hugely refreshing to find this slice of London life served up with so much fun and frivolity going for it.
But you can’t take the film away from Sally, who is in virtually every frame and commands the screen with her delightful presence.
Truly, a star is born.

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