Delightful or frightful? ... Sally Hawkins, grinning, in Happy-Go-Lucky.
The critics are generally agreed that this breezy comedy about a primary school teacher with a heart of gold is one of Mike Leigh's best films.
Sally Hawkins' turn as the irrepressible Poppy stands out in a film which features strong characterisation and a bright storyline which nevertheless manages to veer into darker territory at interesting moments.
"Hawkins plays it superbly: exactly right for the part and utterly at ease with a role that is uniquely demanding," writes our own Peter Bradshaw. "In the factory-farmed blandness of the movies, Happy-Go-Lucky has a strong, real taste."
"Those who only know Leigh by his (unfair) reputation as a miserablist might be surprised to find that ultimately, Happy-Go-Lucky is a genuine feelgood film," writes Empire's Dan Jolin. "There's a good chance that you'll wish you could face all life's tribulations Poppy-style. You might even be tempted to give it a go -- after all, there's no 'arm in tryin'."
"Leigh has created another classic, quote-worthy character in line with Brenda Blethyn's Cynthia in Secrets And Lies," says the BBC's Anna Smith. "And this time he'll make you come out with a smile on your face rather than a heavy heart."
But Sky Movies' Rob Daniel reckons Leigh's much-documented eschewing of a traditional script has resulted in a film which "lurches around, grinding gears, and ends up back where it started".
"No amount of forced gaiety can disguise the fact that Leigh hasn't made a really good film since 1993's Naked," he adds.
How about you? Did Happy-Go-Lucky leave you with a spring in your step? Or did two hours in Poppy's company drive you round the bend?
