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'Lucky' Strikes

Happiness means different things to everyone. For some, it's sipping cold lemonade in July or going on a magical first date, while for others it's signing a mortgage or setting sail in Belize. The Beatles declared it a warm gun, and Todd Solondz named his darkest comedy after it. To Poppy (Sally Hawkins), the lead character in writer/director Mike Leigh's latest treasure "Happy-Go-Lucky," happiness is a decision -- the best one she ever made.

It's not that Poppy's existence is oh-so mind-blowing. She's 30, works as a teacher in London, lives with her best friend Zoe (Alexis Zegerman), enjoys bouncing on trampolines and has no ring on her finger. But she loves life, smiles freely and appreciates every day, which, naturally, drives some of the less-chipper people around her crazy. This is especially evident when she starts taking driving lessons with instructor Scott (Eddie Marsan), her polar opposite, who is repressed, grouchy, racist and overly bothered by the world. He's like a younger Clint Eastwood in "Gran Torino" without any of the coolness.

Poppy's awkwardly hilarious scenes with Scott are among the film's many highlights. Mike Leigh, the genius behind "Secrets & Lies," "Vera Drake" and "All or Nothing," is big on improvising and letting things unfold naturally. So when Poppy and Scott frequently have it out in the car -- he hates that she wears sexy boots and gets distracted by squirrels -- it channels the real kind of head-butting between optimists and pessimists. Much like Democrats and Republicans, they will never truly understand each other.

"Happy-Go-Lucky" is Leigh's lightest film, slightly edging out "Career Girls," but it never feels shallow, in part because Hawkins brings such vibrancy to her character. Whether you think Poppy is an annoying dolt or an inspiring campaign for a positive attitude, you won't soon forget her. She's chatty without being boring and she does get sad, albeit briefly, when bad things occur. There is a realness to her even though she has more of a bounce in her step than most; the movie just wouldn't work if she were laughing while being strangled or walking around pulling cats out of trees.

There isn't a ton of plot in "Happy-Go-Lucky," and there aren't any big reveals or life-altering sequences. No special effects extravaganzas or epic, sweeping romances to speak of. It's simply a chance to spend some time with Poppy, who Leigh clearly adores and is content to follow around -- and the journey provides plenty to smile about.