Happy Go Lucky (2008)

Very disappointing given it was ranked with Made in Daggenam

Suffered through the whole movie hoping it would get better but it didn't.

This was wonderful in many parts, but simply awful in others. The more powerful scenes were fantastic. The continuous "silliness" and prattle of the character was just too annoying and over the top. It's a shame really, because the powerful performances by all characters were spoilt by the silliness. I felt that many scenes could have been left out altogether, particularly at the start of the movie.

A positive single female keeps her optimism despite some people trying to bring her down. This movie reminded me of those swinging sixties movies about kookie girls but without the self-indulgent camera work and editing of that era. The mannerisms of the lead tend to get on your nerves after a while. Interesting but rather pointless. 3.5 stars

Thrilling camerawork; incomparable acting; intense direction; maybe a bit too much prattle - began to feel like filler. Who does she love?

Disappointing. Nothing like previous excellent direction of SECRETS & LIES. Weak storyline that did not gel. Main character overacted and was optimistic to the extreme. Very slow, bland build up in the first half, several characters not developed. When it got to the confrontation with the paranoid, pessimistic driving instructor it didn???t go anywhere. Far to many loose ends, could have been much better. Not Recommended

Lives up to its title - works mainly because of strong lead roles. Sally stays just this side of irritation

Very hard to watch as the lead role was not Happy go lucky just very annoying I tried to complete it but just couldn't.

I watched this to the end hoping it would go somewhere but was disappointed. I found the laugh and head wobble after every sentence a bit annoying after a while - there were a few interesting areas that could have been developed further and the romance could have been introduced earlier. I really don't understand the part in the middle about the homeless guy, I think they could have showed her serious, compassionate side earlier in the film in a way that made more sense. I was left wondering what the point was by the end, the film had potential but just didn't deliver.

not what i expected

Such an annoying character, I actually couldn't finish watching the film. I gave it 2 stars though because it did have potential, I just couldn't hack that character.

Whilst quite a disjointed movie that really never gets going, (we kept "waiting for it to start") it does address some home truths about surly behaving people and how they come across. More art house than mainstream.

There aren't many films that I don't finish! This one I had to turn off after 15 mins, have not disliked a movie so much in a very long time.

Fantastic film - I can't imagine being that bright and happy day to day. It's an inspiration to live by. We need more people in life like Poppy! The outbursts from the driving instructor really make the movie, a wonderful contrast.

A fun, tense, funny, happy movie which is definitely not for everyone. People who expect a hollywood plot or airbrushed, cliched characters should look elsewhere, you won't get it with with this film. The storyline is very happy-go-lucky, even when it's a bit scary. I really liked the portrayal of an intelligent, sensitive, strong and fearless woman.

Enjoyable feel good movie

Three and a half stars. I was one of those many people who found Sally Hawkins' Poppy too annoying, too silly. I really wanted to shake her. But then as the movie reached the hour plus mark, the tone changed and, in the end, I applaud her brave performance. Eddie Marsan's off the wall, depressed and finally psychotic driving instructor is amazing. Their final confontation is an acting tour-de-force. I didn't like "Sercrets and Lies" or "Topsy Turvey". Vera Drake was chilling and this one is, also, a Mike Leigh winner..untimately.

I have never seen soo much happinss. Great film.

This took us a bit to get into, but once we got past the first 20-30mins we found it more engaging and actually wanted to know what happened. Scott is probably not cut out to be an instructor of any sort, let alone a driving instructor, but I wouldn't have a problem with Poppy teaching primary school kids. You could over-analyse this film, but I felt it was just showing how much of a battle it can be to stay positive and optimistic with so much anger and sadness around. Good acting all round.

I didn't think much of this movie. It took along time to see what the story line was all about. Didn't finish watching as thought it was rather boring.

I looked for a plot and couldn't find it I looked for humour and couldn't find it I looked for good acting and couldn't find it I looked for any redeeming feature and again failed to find a reason why I would recommend this movie to anyone. I actually watched it all the way through hoping I would work out the point of it all - and failed.

Cute film with great clothes and characters but nothing really happens. A normal day in the life of...

I agree with most reviews of this film - Poppy is a "love her or hate her" character. Personally i loved her. While the film may seem to meander narratvely that's what Mike Leigh often does. I found Poppy's bright optimism is refreshing.

Some delighful portrayal of characters but the movie is a little light on it's storyline.

A movie with surprisingly little content. No more than some ordinary Londoners living their perfectly ordinary lives. The characters are all people we come across in everyday life - all pretty shallow and boring. Maybe it's a step up from reality TV, but not much.

I won't deny - I skipped a lot of this movie just to see what the point was. Poppy as a character was exactly as you expected, 'happy go lucky' but the contrast of the driving instructor was just a bit too much for me and personally - I would seriously doubt someone of his uncontrolled rage would be allowed to teach people to drive. The subject matter was often beyond a PG too.

I found this slow and didn't go anywhere. However, my wife liked it. The acting performance by the Driving Instructor was very good.

There's some excellent acting here but not much else to get excited about. There's no discernible plot because the film isn't much more than a series of vignettes of fairly dull events. All the characters are pretty one dimensional and go through life behaving as if "their way" is the only way to achieve happiness. I wouldn't want to spend 15 minutes with any of them.

Great film. Watch and enjoy the lovely Poppy. Happy, sometimes sad and always positive even when confronted about her ever happy nature and happy actions. Sally Hawkins is superb.

Great performance from Sally Hawkins, but this movie is very light on storyline. It's more about the interactions between quirky characters. Only worth a look if you enjoy quirky humour with not alot going on.

Poppy, a 30 year-old primary school teacher, sharing a flat in North London with best friend Zoe, gets her bicycle stolen while she's browsing in a bookshop and annoying the shopkeeper by her mindless chit-chat. Cut to rave party with Polly and friends dancing with abandonment in a crush of bodies. Cut to Polly and mates, tipsy, spread out on the floor of someone's flat, talking nonsense. Cut to Polly's school class making paper hats. Cut to Polly in a gym jumping up and down on a trampoline, something, she tells us, she really likes doing. Cut to the first driving lesson with surly, middle-aged redneck harbouring a massive chip on his shoulder, the full effect of which will not be seen until later in the movie. Cut to Polly strolling round Camden Street market. Cut to Polly's first Flamenco dance-class with much stamping of feet led by Spanish lady straight from Seville. Cut to very beefy male physiotherapist fixing the crick in Poppy's back after over-doing the trampolining. Cut to second driving lesson with surly instructor, who is becoming more and more angry with Polly's endless chatter, and we can't help sympathizing with him. Interspersed with these happenings are banal conversations Polly has with her mates that are really no more than girl's talk and almost certainly unscripted.The first half-hour has passed and the only discernible story to emerge is Polly's encounters with her driving instructor. Despite her happy disposition and her efforts to cheer-up everyone she comes in contact with, the Polly character ends up by just being irritating. She's no comic, and her jokes hardly raise a smile. The question needs to be asked, what's driving her? Could it be the shallow life she's leading.

An absolute gem. Totally charming from beginning to end, with an outstanding performance from Sally Hawkins as the eternal optimist with a heart as big as life. A must see.

I've loved Mike Leigh movies before, "Secrets

Middle-of-the-road Mike Leigh.

Enduring British helmer MIKE LEIGH undergoes a welcome change of direction with this frothy but bittersweet character study about a fun loving Londoner who goes in search of love and acceptance. Actress SALLY HAWKINS is a revelation in the wacky lead role and though her highly mannered performance will, no doubt, annoy some viewers, she totally dominates proceedings and evokes much laughter, mirth (and when required) sensitivity and substance. And it's an absolute credit to the veteran director that this winning tale, despite the absence of a conventional plot, climax or crescendo, is engrossing throughout.