HAPPY

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY: How Sally Hawkins didn’t win an Oscar - let alone get nominated - for her performance as the perpetually perky Poppy in Mike Leigh’s Happy-Go-Lucky is almost inexplicable. Like Juno the year before, here we have a character so unique, distinct and overwhelmingly alive that she escapes the two-dimensional screen and lives on in our memories. Skipping through life with an unfailingly rosy disposition, Poppy’s day-to-day experiences bring her nothing but joy in even the most uncomfortable situations. But her weekly appointment with a driving instructor begins to cloud over her streak of sunny days, forcing Poppy to question if she’s truly happy with her life. While the British pepper nearly every conversation with the word “brilliant,” here the adjective truly applies. Mike Leigh’s film is a minor miracle of fast-paced conversations and unforgettable characters wrapped up in a script that never feels scripted. And even if Sally Hawkins never makes a film again, she’ll be forever stamped in our cinematic consciousness. Find and treasure this movie. Like Poppy, it’s a rare thing. Miramax’s DVD includes some character featurettes and a director’s commentary.