Uncut
4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]his really is Sally Hawkins' show. Her performance is every bit as bold as that of David Thewlis in NAKED.....This journey into optimism is a very welcome diversion." 05/01/2008 p.123Empire
4 stars out of 5 -- "HAPPY-GO-LUCKY is a genuine feelgood film. There's a good chance that you'll wish you could face all life's tribulations Poppy-style." 05/01/2008 p.52 Sight and Sound
"Hawkins' virtuoso performance captures Poppy's comic qualities....Upbeat and accessible..." 05/01/2008 p.65 Film Comment
"Hawkins has a ball with the extroverted, clownish aspects of her character, and she's no less compelling in the delicate, pensive scenes where she tries to regain her equilibrium." 09/01/2008 69 Rolling Stone
3.5 stars out of 4 -- "[Leigh] keeps the emotions in balance by keeping them real....HAPPY-GO-LUCKY is more than movie, it's a gift." 10/16/2008 p.84 USA Today
"[HAPPY-GO-LUCKY] is a decidedly clear-eyed exploration of the challenged of being happy. And, as such, it's both an enjoyable comedy and a fascinating character study." 10/10/2008 Los Angeles Times
"Played by Sally Hawkins in a performance that one the Silver Bear for best actress at the Berlin Film Festival, Poppy practically defines irrepressible." 10/13/2008 New York Times
"[T]he film is so closely tuned to the pulse of communal life, to the rhythms of how people work, play and struggle together, it captures the larger picture along with the smaller....[An] expansive, moving film..." 10/10/2008 Premiere
"In HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, Sally Hawkins offers an Oscar-worthy performance as Poppy, the funny, kind-hearted, and mischievous protagonist." 10/15/2008 Entertainment Weekly
"Hawkins imbues Poppy with an innate effervescence that plays off beautifully against adversity." -- Grade: A- 10/17/2008 p.78 Chicago Sun-Times
"Mike Leigh's uncanny ability to find drama in ordinary lives is used with genius....Strangely inspiring." 12/05/2008 Entertainment Weekly
Included in Entertainment Weekly's 2008 Films Of The Year -- "The marvel of HAPPY-GO-LUCKY is that Hawkins and director Mike Leigh end up winning over even the gloomiest Guses..." 12/26/2008 ReelViews 8 of 10
Mike Leigh has often been referred to as a prince of misery. His films, grounded in working class reality, are often downbeat. It's hard to argue with their quality or authenticity, but one typically doesn't walk out of a Mike Leigh film with a renewed appreciation of life. His most widely esteemed movie, Vera Drake, is an excellent example of that. The movie received deserved raves for its story, direction, and acting, but it's not the kind of thing one shows to a friend in need of a pick-me-up. That's why the buoyant tone of Leigh's latest, Happy-Go-Lucky, is such an unexpected and welcome change-of-pace. For his part, Leigh is just as grumpy as ever, but he has produced a motion picture that can best be described as optimistic...Happy-Go-Lucky is a character study that devotes nearly all of its considerable attention and energy to the portrayal of one individual: the irrepressible Poppy, who is played by Sally Hawkins with an intensity and immersion one normally associates with an Oscar nomination...Poppy is the kind of character it's a pleasure to spend two hours with. In fact, I would gladly have given her additional time. It's not that the minutia of her life is inherently interesting or film-worthy; rather, Poppy can command attention while doing pretty much anything...While any or all of the events related during the course of the film might seem to form the backbone of an unendurably boring motion picture, everything comes alive because of Poppy. She's both the sparkplug that gets things going and the fuel that keeps them moving. Most importantly, she's the reason to experience this film and, because of her, what an experience it is! - James Berardinelli
Chicago Sun-Times 10 of 10
Mike Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky" is the story of a good woman. As simple as that...Poppy is one of the most difficult roles any actress could be assigned. She must smile and be peppy and optimistic at (almost) all times, and do it naturally and convincingly, as if the sunshine comes from inside. That's harder than playing Lady Macbeth. Sally Hawkins been in movies before, including Leigh's "Vera Drake" and Woody Allen's "Cassandra's Dream," but this is her star-making role. She was named best actress at Berlin 2008. I will deliberately employ a cliche: She is a joy to behold...This is Mike Leigh's funniest film since "Life Is Sweet" (1991). Of course he hasn't ever made a completely funny film, and "Happy-Go-Lucky" has scenes that are not funny, not at all. There are always undercurrents and oddness. His films feel as if they're spontaneously unfolding; he has a vision of his characters that is only gradually revealed. He almost always finds remarkable performances, partly because he casts actors, not stars...I had seen Sally Hawkins in movies before. She was the rich girl who went to the private clinic in "Vera Drake." No role could be more different than Poppy. Leigh, who spent years working for the stage, was able to imagine her as Poppy, a role very few women could play. Maybe Meryl Streep could sustain that level of merriness, but then what can't she do?...And now I must ask, what can't Hawkins do? There are countless ways she might have stepped wrong. But she breezes in on her bicycle and engages our deepest sympathy. Poppy has a gift, as I said, for not running, but standing there, reading the situation, understanding other people and acting helpfully. By that I do not mean she cheers them up. - Roger Ebert
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