We’re immersed in a time where everyone is striving – not only for a way to get ahead, but for the perfect method to strive for the goal. Some say that the path to success is paved in positivity and removing all negative thought. Of course, that leaves a determination to not be negative, and to shun instances and people that are. But then there’s Mike Leigh’s Happy-Go-Lucky world of Poppy.

Wonderfully played by Sally Hawkins, Poppy is one of the most insanely positive people, if not the most positive person, you could meet in the world of film. She’s always smiling, and she doesn’t let life’s little stresses get her down. When her bike is stolen, Poppy mourns not the absence of her bike, but rather the fact that she couldn’t say goodbye. When someone is rude to her, she just continues to be nice. At times, it’s overboard and a bit grating, but it’s also inclusive and understanding. Poppy listens and cares, but doesn’t let it overwhelm her or overtake her positivity.

And this is the heart of Happy-Go-Lucky’s story. Once her bike is gone, Poppy decides that her time as a cyclist is over, and that she must learn how to drive. She signs up for driving lessons, which puts her face to face with her antithesis. Scott (Eddie Marsan) is so pent up with anger, tension, and disappointment that he looks like he might pop. Poppy’s neverending positivity and lightheartedness does not help matters. He hates her giggly nature, and the fact that his warnings and fear-laced negativity don’t affect her in the slightest. As Scott warns Poppy of the dangers of her capriciousness behind the wheel, it’s just as obvious that his anger is equally unsafe.

Free of a strict plot, Happy-Go-Lucky is a voyeuristic character study – one that does have a cohesive narrative, but spends most of its time in moments rather than a plot-driven direction. Bits of Poppy’s life, and that of her friends and family, appear on-screen, but there is often the hint of more under the surface. This is not because of a vague narrative, but rather the fact that Mike Leigh’s characters are all dynamic, well-formed personalities. Of course, that makes one curious to know more of the reasoning behind each persona, but it also makes for real, natural, and relatable situations. While you might not know what the details are to any one circumstance, it’s still easy to understand where each character is coming from. There’s none of those ever-annoying “Why would they do that?” moments to rip you out of the story.

Of course, there are times that Poppy’s carefree attitude are rightfully questioned or challenged. There are challenges within her family situation, within her tense driving quests with Scott, and even within her job as an elementary teacher. But they are not taken to the over-the-top, overused cinematic extreme. Poppy knows when to reign in her positivity, yet still be herself.

It’s a pleasure to dip into Poppy’s world. It is natural, it never seems like a farce, and ultimately, Happy-Go-Lucky gives the audience a slice of engaging, positive life and filmmaking.