• It is not on that level of an artistic achievement but I think Mike Leigh’s Happy-Go-Lucky (probably more of a triumph for Sally Hawkins—who is wonderful here– than Leigh himself) makes for an interesting pairing with Leigh’s greatest work- Naked. The 1993 masterpiece is dark, a story about a singular character (most of Leigh’s work is about a family and/or ensemble) who is dark, angry at the world— and here, we have the polar opposite- a genuinely positive, happy person (mostly despite the ugliness in the world around her that seems hell-bent on snuffing her happiness out)
  • This is the world (and similar title) of the auteur who gave us High Hopes and Life is Sweet—here the title is a pretty apt character description
  • It starts with the theft of Hawkins’ bicycle—you can’t be a cinema enthusiast and realistic like Mike Leigh and not take this as at least a nod to the 1948 De Sica masterpiece Bicycle Thieves. Hawkins’ character lets it roll right off her back- she laughs at it and it prompts her to take up driving lessons—which is the main thing that drives this film (like all of Leigh’s work it is really plotless)
  • Her thesis is stated outright early on— “It is mad out there…. gorgeous day for it” with her colorful eclectic clothes (and flat), big hoop earrings
  • This is observational cinema- we’re in her life, her routine—she takes up Flamenco dancing, she has driving lessons on Saturday at noon, she goes to work, she goes and gets a drink, etc
  • A real person- such rich characterizations- eclectic, quirky, bracelets galore, genuinely good – she can be a bit of a tough hang she’s so chirpy sometimes – and if you’ve seen Billy Madison 77 times like I have you can’t help but think of this being a feature film bout Miss Lippy (Hawkins’ is a primary school teacher of course)– haha
  • There is one wipe edit during a kindergarten sequence – I think it’s the only one in the film and the only one in Leigh’s career
  • I found her character to be instructional on life
  • A gorgeous setting of the frame (the film is not filled with these) under a rusted industrial area as she tries to help a homeless man
  • Eddie Marsan is incredible here—angry, racist, sneering—and he’s coming to a boil
  • Again- this isn’t on the level of Naked, or even 2004’s (and Leigh’s previous film) Vera Drake but there are a few purposeful splashes of yellows in the production design. If there was more of it we’d have a stronger film. This is the anti-Naked which was covered in blackness. There are yellows in the background of Hawkins’ character as she jumps on the trampoline, the door of the man she goes on a date with, her friends’ car, her shirt the day after the date
  • It is purposeful that we largely see her as a teacher and surrounded by other teachers (Marsan is a driving teacher, the Flamenco dancer)
  • Recommend but not in the top 10 of 2008