Happy-Go-Lucky in My Top Ten
By Shira | Apr 3, 09 03:12 PM
Ari and I finally watched Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky on DVD last night. It's been less than 24 hours, but I feel comfortable saying it's one of the best films I've ever seen. There are so many movies about fucked up people doing fucked up things. Here's a story about someone who is compassionate and vulnerable and has a sense of humor, which somehow manages to steer clear of cliches and devices. Perhaps the only real device is how the film was made - Leigh's improvisational, collaborative approach gives the actors the opportunity to create their roles from the ground up, so that by the time the cameras are rolling they can simply "be" the character and allow the scene to unfold.
Has anyone else out there seen the film? Did you totally fall in love with Poppy like I did?
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Comments
What are the other 9?
Posted by: Chris Phillips | April 3, 2009 05:16 PM
I couldn't choose only 9, but I posted my Top Twentyish.
Posted by: Shira Golding | April 17, 2009 01:48 PM