In a sprawling two-page review, Stephanie Zacharek praises Mike Leigh’s Happy-Go-Lucky and declares Sally Hawkins’ performance the year’s best. I went looking for the money shot and I found it:
Hawkins has worked with Leigh before, in both “Vera Drake” and “All or Nothing.” (She also gave the only believable performance amid the complete bunk of Woody Allen’s “Cassandra’s Dream.”) But here, Leigh has given her the challenge of a lifetime — the kind of role an actress can play at just one point in her life — and she more than meets it. In that exchange with the homeless guy, Poppy does the unthinkable: She listens, to someone whose enunciation is almost impossible to understand, and to someone who obviously smells bad. She leans in close to hear what everyone else has shut out, the everyday sound of music.
And if you think the character is going to annoy you (how could you not think that), Zacharek addresses that as well:
Leigh introduces Poppy in the movie’s opening credits: A rather ditzy-looking brunette decked out in a multicolored crocheted cardigan and lace tights, she’s riding a bicycle through London streets, waving and smiling at people whom, even at this early stage, we’re certain she doesn’t know. She pops into a bookstore and promptly begins to annoy its taciturn clerk with her prattle. Taking a book called “Road to Reality” from the shelf, she natters, “I don’t want to be going there!” She laughs at her own jokes, because she can’t crack even a smile from that annoyed clerk. Leaving the store, she realizes her bicycle has been stolen, and she shows just a flash of exasperation before resigning herself to its loss: “We didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye.”
The key to that early scene, at least for me, is that Poppy is both unbearable and compelling. In those early moments, I wasn’t sure I could stand her for the duration of a whole movie. I was afraid she was going to be one of those women — you can find them everywhere, but I happened to encounter a lot of them in Cambridge, Mass., in the 16 years I lived in the area — who smile moronically at everything, even when there’s nothing to smile at, who refuse to countenance anything that might bring negative energy into their airspace. Their insistence that the world should be “nice” has always seemed, to me, laced with control-freak hostility.
24 Responses for "Sally Hawkins – Best Performance of the Year, Says Salon"
Gross.
Isn’t this a bit premature? Actually, who am I to talk? I did go ass over elbow about Cotillard last year way before all the qualifying films had been released. Having said that, I’m a huge fan of Leigh’s work and look forward to seeing “Happy Go-Lucky.”
I think it’s a pretty stupid to say “the year’s best” when we are in OCTOBER.
I have a feeling this will be a surprise hit.
…Yeah, but it’s Stephanie Zacharek. I mean, her taste has been astonishingly awful this year.
The problem I have with this review is that it is not so much a critique of Hawkins’ performance as it is the screenplay itself. Too often we see reviews raving about certain actor or actress’ performance but ends up discussing more about the character itself. Even the academy sometimes have problem differentiating a well written role from a good performance. What specific things did Hawkins do on screen that made this performance stand out? How did she elevate the screenplay?
She should have said “best performance of the year so far”…It is still october. we yet to see Sean Penn in Milk and espeically Meryl Streep in Doubt.
Based on what i saw on trailers i thought she was overacting. I may change my idea when i see the movie this week but it is a bit too premature to call hers as the performance of the year.
Consider the source. There are tons of inconsistencies with opinions of this performance. Most reports from the NY Film Festival indicate her performance is irritating.
I don’t know about that, Aaron. The Times’ Manohla Dargis absolutely loved the film and Hawkins’ performance. Even the NYP rag lauded her performance. The picture also received positive notices from The New Yorker and the Village Voice.
At the moment, it also boasts a 97% rating on RT and an 82 on MC.
I’m 100% with Zacharek here — Hawkins is THAT good.
What’s incredible about the performance is that she reveals the conscious effort Poppy puts into being happy, which manifests itself in the kooky affectations that some viewers find irritating. But as the film progresses, she drops these tics at points to show the grounded, very ordinary woman beneath. It’s really layered work, and deserves any awards that come its way.
Eddie Marsan is aces in the film too — he matches Hawkins step-for-step in their scenes together.
For me the star of the film was really the screenplay, not Hawkins, although admitted she acquits herself well. It’s a layered film that’s both entertaining yet real and sticks with you for days. I’d be surprised if Hawkins gets an Oscar nomination let alone the win, but I sure hope the screenplay is recognised.
I agree too Guy, the Eddie Marsan/Sally Hawkins scenes are the best, especially the climax.
pure filth! It seems that at least once a year a film comes out that critics go ass over elbow for and I just don’t understand all the hype. Last year it was Juno. This year it appears to be Happy-Go-Lucky. I found the entire film to be irritating and not at all endearing. Was this supposed to be a comedy? because the film seriously was lacking in the funny. Whatever this is my last rant about Happy-Go-Lucky. Hopefully the film will be overshadowed by more excellent films.
I agree with Alfredo. There is nothing special about this film. Hawkins was not that great. I do wish people will stop calling it the best film of the year. Disgusting!
Filth? Disgusting?
Fine if you don’t like the film, guys, but let’s not go overboard. And, the way I saw it, it’s not meant to be an out-and-out comedy.
They should have called it “Trying to be Happy” or some title with absolutely no irony in it all, so people wouldn’t be taken aback that it’s not really a comedy. And as I understand it, aren’t Leigh’s films developed in an improvisation with the actors? So that if the screenplay (story and characters) are interesting, it’s another input of the actor as well as the performance.
I look forward to seeing it.
Something about this film genuinely excites me. I look forward to it.
I want to see this, but fuck Stephanie Zacharek, seriously.
I agree, Guy.
Some of you guys can be so unnecessarily harsh. Hawkins is a very good actress. If her character is irritating, it’s not her fault, it’s Mike Leigh’s fault. If her character is irritating and is meant to be irritating, then it’s no-one’s fault.
Gross? Filth? Disgusting? JR, can you seriously claim that you were driven to utter disgust by Zacharek’s review? Alfredo, have a dictionary definition of filth: ‘offensive or disgusting dirt or refuse; foul matter’.
I liked the film, and I loved Hawkins. She won at Berlin for this performance. Previous winners have included Charlize Theron in Monster, Kidman, Moore and Streep in The Hours, Halle Berry in Monsters Ball and Juliette Binoche in The English Patient. When an English-language performance by an actress wins at Berlin, it tends to signify Oscar success…
Indeed Dorothy indeed!!!!
I saw the film this week, and I pretty much adored it. Actually, seeting the Leigh and the Demme film within days of each other an dloving them both makes this one of the year’s best weeks for me. And Tonite I will be seeing BALLAST and LOLA MONTES, so I’m certain this week will reign supreme.
Ms. Hawkins was magnificent (she was supposed to be annoying …..duh!!!) and I concue here with Ms. Zacharek.
HAPPY-GO-LUCKY is one of the year’s ten best films to this point.
Paddy I’m afraid I have to stand by my usage of the word filth in reference to Ms. Zacharek’s review of the film. My beef is not with Sally Hawkins who I’m sure was just following Mike Leigh’s direction and script of making such an annoying character come to life. For me the film just simply did not work. In the end, it seems Poppy did not learn anything or grow as a person. That’s just me. I guess I missed the whole point of the film. Or maybe I’m just a complete dumbass because I still haven’t seen a film that satifies all levels of film making the way The Dark Knight has. Zacharek didn’t understand the fuss over that film I guess it just makes sense that I don’t understand her going ape shit over this film. Different strokes for different folks is all. Good day everyone.
Just saw this movie tonight. I’m not very enthusiastic. There are a handful of moments that are REALLY good, but overall I’m afraid I have to use the There Will Be Blood defense in this situation and just say, there’s not much of a movie here. Full disclosure: I’m a huge Mike Leigh fan and I think this is a minor film in his catalog. Kinda like Burn After Reading is to the Coen’s catalog. 7 out of 10. Eddie Marsan does amazing work here though and I pray he winds up with a supporting nod.
Forgot to comment on the topic of this article, Sally Hawkins. I think she acquits herself well, in spite of the fact that this is actually somewhat of a one-note role. Anyone who says different is squinting their eyes and looking too hard at the screen for something that is barely there. I appreciate the role as a metaphor, but I felt some of the spark was missing here. Not entirely, though. I don’t want anyone to misinterpret this as bashing her. By the end of the film I was sold on the character. But it’s not the knockout everyone’s been going on about. Hopefully this isn’t me falling victim to raised expectations but I can’t make any guarantees.
Oh and I also want to say, this film will definitely alienate many Academy voters because I felt the first 20 minutes or so were very uneventful and rather boring and I’m not sure how many older voters are gonna stick with their screener copy. Even if they do I just get the feeling that this movie isn’t gonna do the thing that successful Oscar movies do for voters.
HER ROLE IS SUPPOSSED TO BE ANNOYING.
I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT.
HE WHO THINKS THAT THIS MOVIE IS BAD MAY BE:
1. JUST DUMB OR JUST DONT UNDERSTAND ENGLISH.
2. MAYBE YOU ARE MORE OF “MR. ENRAHAH” THAN “MS. POPPY”.
3. YOU LOST YOUR SENSE OF HUMANITY.
(DUDE, WE USED TO BE LIKE HER BUT WE LOST IT AS WE GROW OLD! NOT PHYSICALLY BUT BECAUSE OF THE BULLSHIT OF THIS WORLD.)
I WISH I WAS ABLE TO RETAIN THAT AIR OF INNOCENCE LIKE POPPY.
4. THE SCENE WHERE POPPY TALKED TO THE HOMELESS MAN WAS GREAT. AND IF YOU DON’T AGREE WITH ME, THEN YOU MUST REFRAIN FROM WATCHING THIS KIND OF FILM AND CONFINE YOURSELF AT WATCHING TDK.
YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS HERE!
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