Happy Go Lucky

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I went to see Mike Leigh's new film 'Happy Go Lucky', generally I love a Leigh film but this felt different. It's taken me a while to figure out why I felt so dissatisfied with Happy, but here's the thing - I felt no sympathy for the main character of Poppy and I couldn't quite see the point of the film....was it about being cheerful in the face of being 30 and single? Was it about secrets and lies being hidden beneath a failure to grow up? Was it about a naivity that only sees the good in everything? Was it about insecurity? Was is about paranoia?

Or was it simply about a really annoying woman?

I did appreciate the lesbionic undertones in the relationship between the two female leads (and, in this case, I don't think I am projecting) and I will always support any movie that is female led - they are few and far between.

Having said that - I do have to note that the most 'interesting' character was the male driving instructor. This character had depth, humanity and, while repugnant, did elicit some sympathy from me. Unlike Poppy who seemed one dimensional.

Sadly, I also thought the acting was a bit wooden - which was a shame. Perhaps in the hands of a more experienced actor the character of Poppy may have been redeemed.

And what woman would walk through wasteground, in the middle of London, in the middle of the night AND then stop and chat with the first strange man she met? No woman I know

So my cornetto rating is ............. 5/10. Might be OK on dvd on a rainy Sunday afternoon