Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)

The ninth film to be featured on my blog is 2008's HAPPY-GO-LUCKY directed by Mike Leigh. The film stars Sally Hawkins and Eddie Marsan.

Sally Hawkins stars as Poppy, a joyful primary school teacher. The film follows her everyday journey to inspire happiness in others. Her performance is a luminescent one. Some find her grating and I think that's part of the character. She's so earnest and she means well, but she is essentially blind to the fact that perhaps happiness isn't so easy to share or cultivate.

Still she ushers in joy for many children. The film explores the fundamental need to have fun in life even when things are slipping into the shadows. She creates an atmosphere of absolute elation for her students. The film is quite a similar atmosphere. Leigh has crafted a carefree, fun-filled world that does represent our world, but through the eyes of an optimistic woman.

The central relationship of the film is between Poppy and her driving instructor Scott, played to perfection by Eddie Marsan. Scott is in most ways Poppy's complete opposite and yet the film follows their time together with a certain fondness. It isn't poking fun at Scott, but trying to understand his perspective in relation to Poppy's idealistic world.

The humor in Leigh's film is on point and doesn't disappoint. Where Vera Drake was tremendously dark, Happy-Go-Lucky basks in light, spontaneous humor. Leigh's strength relies on the improvised feel of his films and when done correctly, it feels completely real.

Sally Hawkins is a revelation akin to Amy Adams' performance in Junebug. Hawkins' Poppy observes the world almost as if through children's eyes. Laughing and joking with the idea of living in a world of adults, Poppy is a vibrant personality. Someone who held on to her childhood optimism with great conviction.

However, Poppy is an adult and she is responsible despite her joking tendencies. She tries to foster an environment separate from the world of violence and video games in her classroom and in spite of her effort, she can't shut everything bad out.

This film would best be summed up in a single word: Charming. It helps that Sally Hawkins creates one of the more charming characters ever committed to celluloid. She is a woman you root for and one you cheer for when she gets what she wants. The dialogue is whimsical to the point where it makes me smile too much.

That said, the final scene between Poppy and Scott is a brilliantly sharp change in tone. Poppy's world is overpowered by Scott's rage and hate-filled universe. She is forced to confront the ugliness in the world, but also to confront her accountability for her carefree antics. It's an intense scene, brilliantly performed and shot. I whole-heartedly recommend this film to anyone who has an interest in enjoying themselves.

Junebug (2005)

The sixth film I've chosen to feature is 2005's JUNEBUG directed by Phil Morrison. This film is known mostly for Amy Adams' acclaimed performance, but I think it is one of the best films ever made. It has many other admirable attributes that I'm going to highlight in this entry.

This film at it's very start is a boy meets girl story. Madeleine works for an art gallery and she meets George at an auction. They have a literal love at first sight moment and hit it off immediately. They marry soon after not knowing terribly much about each other, but feeling confident in their love or attraction for one another.
The inciting incident of the film is that Madeleine must visit an artist she's trying to book for her gallery. The artist lives very nearby to George's family. Madeleine is thrust into a world that is polite, but foreign. She is very sophisticated and stands out like a sore thumb. Even the artist she meets with has an almost primitive or childlike style of artwork.
The film is a quiet one and not overtly showy. Its quirkiness emerges from the very reality it creates. Certain moments of this film could very plausibly happen. It is full of glimpses of how people exist. Quietly. Even the way the interior of the house is filmed when no one is there gives the space a strong sense of life.
Of course, I have to devote at least a paragraph to the force that is Amy Adams in this film. Ashley is like Madeleine in a few ways. Technically she was an outsider to the family, but now she is very much a part of it. She has a strong vitality and enthusiasm for family. The baby she carries is essential to her. The child represents hope and the love that she and Johnny shared in the past. She treats Madeleine like a child, but not in a condescending sense. She sees Madeleine as family far before the others even accept the idea. She's protective of Madeleine, but fascinated with her in the way a young girl idolizes an older sister. It's a passionate characterization that is full of life and charm.
The relationship between Madeleine and Ashley is an interesting one because of the idolization. Ashley embodies a childlike naivete despite the fact that she's the one coasting toward motherhood. She's the main character that welcomes Madeleine and makes her feel less like an alien. It's an endearing friendship.
I liked this shot because I thought it emphasized Madeleine's isolation from the family.
It's amazing that Embeth Davidtz didn't get any attention from this film. Her Madeleine is the true masterwork of the piece in my opinion. She creates an intellectual woman who rushes into a marriage with extremely veiled motivation. It's unclear whether she wants children or not or if family is important to her at all. She is consistently surprised by George and vastly unprepared to impress his family. She woefully places her job before them while in the same breath proclaiming their importance. She's a sad, isolated woman who wouldn't know how to connect with her newfound family if it was the most important thing in the world. It's lovely work.
I love the voyeuristic feel of many of the shots. It gives the scenes a sense of privacy that makes them seem unaffected. The performances are strong in their grasp of realism. These people are lived in and not glossed over in a cheesy Hollywood manner.
And the inclusion of real looking character actors is something that adds authenticity to this little gem of a film.
When tragedy strikes it looks as if Madeleine might not be ready for life with this family. They accept her presence more than ever. The subtlety of this film is misleading. The stillness of the woods is also false in their serenity. The emotional turmoil these characters are feeling is deafening.
And, yet, when it's all said and done, there is a strong bond that brings them together. Despite their lack of past, Madeleine and George want to forge a future together. It's touching and real. I love this film and I enthusiastically recommend it.