HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
UK, 2008, 118 minutes, Colour.
Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan, Alexis Zegerman.
Directed by Mike Lee.
Mike Leigh has done it again. A fine, real and realistic portrait of ordinary Londoners, ordinary people.
But… the title? It sounds like the winner of a competition for the least likely title for a Mike Leigh film. Happy is not a word that one readily associates with Mike Leigh films, let alone happy-go-lucky. There is no question, however, that Leigh has made an extremely happy and happy-go-lucky film.
The cast must really have enjoyed Leigh’s process for developing the screenplay: having the cast create responses to situations he suggests, find the dialogue, find the wit, find the emotions and interactions so that he can fashion a tight script from their creativity.
And he is blessed, as usual, by a marvellous cast and a totally persuasive performance (as happened with Brenda Blethyn for Secrets and Lies and with Imelda Staunton for Vera Drake) from Sally Hawkins who had appeared in the cast of Leigh’s recent films. Like Brenda Blethyn and Imelda Staunton, she won a Best Actress award for her performance, this time in Berlin. From the opening credits where she is seen cheerfully riding her bike through the streets of a sunny London to the end where she is rowing on a lake with her room-mate, Zoe (Alexis Zegerman in a more quiet but perfectly complementary performance), Sally Hawkins commands our full attention. Her Polly is a woman of happiness, zest for life which is admirably optimistic, geared to helping others through laughter but not taking herself too seriously. She is wonderfully extraverted but could be more than a bit wearing for those who cannot emulate her exuberance.
Yet, you know that at some stage, she will be challenged by people who are more serious-minded, who feel threatened by her joie-de-vivre. But, you hope she has the goodness and the moral resilience to take criticism on board, absorb it and be the better person for it while it does not quench her spirited zest.
So, this is a few weeks in Polly’s happy-go-lucky life. The screenplay is quite episodic and some sequences seem arbitrary to the plot, like that of her chance meeting at night in a deserted space, without fear, with someone most of us would find too frightening and avoid, a homeless and mentally unstable man. Yet, we are glad the episodes have been included.
Just a list of a few of Polly’s encounters gives a flavour of her life: at first joking with a most taciturn bookseller, then her girls’ night out dancing and drinking, talking and laughing, with her sister and friends, then her preparations for her class with primary school children learning about birds (complete with home-made bird masks). She also has to deal with a little boy bully in the school yard and the social worker who comes to work with him, then a liaison with the social worker…
And her driving lessons! Who else but Mike Leigh could engross his audience in driving lessons? It is here that the clash between the over-jovial and the over-serious comes into play with Eddie Marsan giving yet another of his completely different performances as an angry, rigidly uptight instructor who makes the intensely aggressive speeches in the film, exasperated by Polly’s chat, laughter and his feeling she did not take him and the lessons seriously enough. Polly’s pregnant sister is also a controller, of her husband as well as visitors to the house and reacts hypersensitively to Polly’s easygoing love and support.
And Leigh makes a Flamenco lesson a highlight of his film, amusing but then hilarious as the Spanish instructor lets loose with an exhortation to her motley class for intense passion for the story of the dance – along with some very funny observations on British pronunciation and reserve. The audience at the Berlinale press screening burst into loud spontaneous applause as the sequence climaxed.
Leigh has always believed in human nature and has never been afraid of showing its darker side, especially in Naked. And now, believe it or not, he is not afraid to portray the profoundly happy-go-lucky.
1.The impact, entertainment, a wise film?
2.Mike Lee and his serious body of work? His turning to happiness? Sally Hawkins embodying the title? Her best actress award in Berlin?
3.The title, usage, happiness, happy outlook, temperament, extrovert, joy, relationships, laughter, the funny side of life, serious sides of life? Happy-go-lucky, not making decisions, chances, opportunities? Cheerful? Support? Taking the mickey out of people yet affirming them?
4.The credits, London, North London, a character in the film, the streets, the flat, the driving lesson’s routes, the school, the visit to the family in the country, the end and the rowing scene? Musical score?
5.The introduction to Poppy, the credits, her riding her bike, sunny disposition, the market, the taciturn bookseller, with her girlfriends, dancing during the night, drinking, enjoying life, the weekend, talking, coming home, Zoe as good friend, Susie her sister, the chat, carefree? Sleeping, waking, breakfast?
6.Poppy’s life, her name of Pauline, thirties, her studies, intelligent, Susie and her exams, Helen and her pregnancy, Helen as serious? Their parents? The London life, Zoe and travel, settling down, the flat in London, their ease with each other? Their preparing the bird masks for school, enjoying this, with the children at school, play? Poppy noticing the bully, later taking this up, the confrontation, discussions with the principal, with Tim, the social worker, handling the situation?
7.The principal as her friend, the invitation to the flamenco lessons, their talk, going, Poppy laughing, the teacher and her seriousness, the range of clients, the history of flamenco, the mocking the English passion and pronunciation? The dancing, the story, the intensity of the lecturer, her storming out? Her later praise? An enjoyable character?
8.The homeless man, the danger for Poppy to walk in this area, meeting the old man, talking, noise, singing, hungry, her getting him a sandwich, her warmth, sharing with him, his warnings?
9.Tim, liking him, his skills in dealing with the boy and his home life, drawing out information from him, the drawing? Going out with Poppy, the dinner, sharing, going home with him, the sexual encounter? Scott seeing this? A future for Poppy and Tim?
10.Zoe as a character, the ten years of friendship, travel, the flat, the practical one, complementing Poppy? Quiet support, listening, the visit to Helen, the end and their rowing together?
11.Scott, his lessons, the car, the company, conditions of employment, woking on Saturdays, payment? His rules and the explanation, the triangle, the third eye, the incantation? Poppy and her real name? Her response to him, the jokes, the gears, turning, the dangers? Her keeping going? Scott spying on her and running away?
12.Scott as the only child, living alone with his mother, his prejudices, speeches, Middle England? Serious, his taunting Poppy, his irritation with her, his mad driving, his serious attack on Poppy, her life, her values, her humour?
13.The challenge to Poppy, taking this seriously, thinking it over, Zoe’s comments, Helen and her visit, control, the reactions to Helen’s control? Helen and her pregnancy, her husband, the house, the décor, forbidding him to play computer games?
14.Sharing life with Poppy, her life as a person, character, her goodness, relationships, humour, laughter, jokes? The possibility that she would be a bit wearing in real life?
15.Yet her taking life seriously, focused, responsibility? Considering criticisms? Rowing with Zoe and talking with her?
16.The final shot, going up into the air, looking down, the audience sharing the rowing, peaceful for Poppy, moving on to the next phase of her life?
