What would I give just to see one scene in which Poppy, the happy=go-lucky star in this movie played by Sally Hawkins, meets Clint Eastwood's character, Kowalski, from Gran Torino. I'm sure the sparks would fly in all directions.
Poppy is an extremely cheerful person. I've only met two or three people like her in my lifetime. They always seem to be in a good move. So much so that you start to wonder whether its all an act. This movie delves deeply into that suspicion and comes out the other end convincing us that yes indeed this sort of person can exist in a three dimensional way. The idea in this film is to surround poor happy Poppy with the most unhappy repugnant people I have seen in a movie in a long time. The worst of which is a driving instructor so acidic that he comes very close to overshadowing Poppy's optimism and cheeriness. The exchanges between them are really a great battle of personalities and it is fascinating to watch them go at it. Will Poppy make the driving instructor nicer or will the driving instructor push Poppy into being mean? I will not ruin it whether Poppy wins, loses, or draws a truce but it does all erupt in a climax that had me leaning back in my seat stunned.
Sally Hawkins has been getting Oscar buzz for this role and it is completely called for in this role. She has created one of the most likable characters of the year, certainly in the last ten years, and maybe ever. I wanted to hug her already right after the first scene. And very rarely have I ever wanted a happy ending for a person so much than I did in this movie. She's just so darn good.
There is this one scene in the movie that especially caught my eye and that's when Poppy, for no real reason, sees a homeless man and starts talking to him. The guy is out of his wits and is mumbling the same words over and over. Most people would be freaked out or pretend not to notice. They would walk on the other side of the street probably. But Poppy stays with the dude and talks to him. After a while their eyes connect the guy mutters "y'know?" Poppy very empathetically says she does and he walks away. There are sometimes scenes in what seems to be an ordinary movie that make me realize I'm in the middle of watching something special. Like for instance the scene in 'Groundhog Day' when Bill Murray tells Andi Macdowell that he is a god and spills the beans about killing himself several times. Or Jack Black's acapella rock monologue in 'School of Rock.' or in 'Tropic Thunder' when Ben Stiller accidentally kills a panda. This is one of those scenes. It comes out of nowhere but makes perfect sense and elevates the entire movie to a different level.
If I have one complaint about this movie its that it ended a little too soon. I could have used a little more dialogue or maybe just even a little more Poppy. Have her riding a new bike over the end credits. That could have book-ended the piece and given me a little more time to say goodbye.
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