BEFORE: Sally Hawkins carries over from "An Education". I was going to have three Sally Hawkins films here, because three-in-a-row seems to be the semi-regular pattern this month, but that middle film was called "Never Let Me Go" and the IMDB classified it as both a romance and a sci-fi film, how does THAT work? A little peek into the synopsis suggested it was a dark, dystopian film set in an alternate future, and I think that just might break up the rhythm I've got going, romance or not - so I've tabled that film for later, it might link up with "Promising Young Woman" or "tick...tick...Boom!" in the future, there's no real way to predict that. But I do get the vibe that maybe that film doesn't belong in February, so it's been dropped, and the chain's just going to close around it. (It's a shame, there were TWO links on either side of it, but it's not meant to be. These things happen for a reason, and it sometimes means that film will be a vital link that's needed later on.)
THE PLOT: A look at a few chapters in the life of Poppy, a cheery, colorful North London schoolteacher whose optimism tends to exasperate those around her.
AFTER: Today marks a full week spent on films set in the U.K. - I think I've got one more tomorrow which is set during World War II, and that will be followed by a couple more German-based films, that should be a transition that makes a bit of sense.
This one took its time getting to the romance part, but eventually it got there. Thank God - I mean, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to have a film in February with a dearth of romance, I've been known to cheat in October to allow the chain to not be broken, I've mixed in superhero films or documentaries or the weird police film "Filth" just to keep the chain alive. Whatever doesn't break the chain, or whatever gets you through the night, it's all right, it's all right. (Still, a dystopian film about cloning is perhaps better left out.)
There's a lot here to keep us busy until the romance comes - Poppy is a primary school teacher, she also parties a lot with her friends on the weekends, and after her bike gets stolen, she starts taking driving lessons, finally, at the age of 30. I suppose I'm supposed to consider this character as being in a state of arrested development, because in many ways she just doesn't have her shite together, but it doesn't seem to bother her. I don't drive, I've never owned a car, so what? I live in New York City, I don't need to drive if my wife does, plus there's this thing called the subway (I think they call it "the tube" in London). Plus Poppy does trampoline workouts, dance class, and also there's chiropractic sessions, book-stores to shop at, and once in a while, a homeless person to try to rescue. OK, so she's a good person, her heart's in the right place, but engaging with a street person who's mentally unstable has a lot of potential for disaster.
Poppy's younger sister is pregnant, and on a visit to her place in Southend, Poppy is urged to "take life seriously" and not go drinking every night, but that's part of London culture, isn't it? Heading out to the pub each night for a couple pints? At least, it used to be, God knows what it's like now after COVID - I've only been to a bar twice in the last year, with my friend Victoria, who reminds me a bit of Poppy. She's a librarian, never been married, though I've seen her go through several relationships in the years I've known her, and she's usually upbeat and personable, despite it all. Optimism will get you through it, I suppose, but then you never really know anybody's personal pain or how they're dealing with it.
Poppy's got good instincts when it comes to people, she takes notice when one of her young students is bullying others, and she steps in to talk to him about it, assuming that means there's trouble at home. Calling in a social worker for a chat was the right call, and as a bonus, the social worker is a big, not unattractive guy who asks for her number. Right, so that's all sorted out then, isn't it?
Well, not quite, there's the matter of the driving instructor, Scott, who might have a thing for her, one day she sees him near her flat and so he might be keeping tabs on her. Poppy had jokingly told him she was a lesbian, and her roommate was her partner - then later on she introduces Scott to her new boyfriend, the social worker. Yeah, Scott doesn't take this well, like maybe he could accept her as a lesbian, that's one reason why they didn't connect - but he simply can't accept her as a straight woman, because that would mean that HE was at fault for not connecting. But, Scott's also something of a racist and a conspiracy nut, and really, he was ahead of his time, since this film came out in 2008. Scott would be a QAnon or Trump fanatic these days, if he also weren't so anti-American. One day he finally gets frustrated with Poppy just because she's so all over the place, yet always cheery - but really, is his problem with Poppy or with himself? Sometimes the only thing you can do is cut that kind of person right out of your life, I guess.
Well, not quite, there's the matter of the driving instructor, Scott, who might have a thing for her, one day she sees him near her flat and so he might be keeping tabs on her. Poppy had jokingly told him she was a lesbian, and her roommate was her partner - then later on she introduces Scott to her new boyfriend, the social worker. Yeah, Scott doesn't take this well, like maybe he could accept her as a lesbian, that's one reason why they didn't connect - but he simply can't accept her as a straight woman, because that would mean that HE was at fault for not connecting. But, Scott's also something of a racist and a conspiracy nut, and really, he was ahead of his time, since this film came out in 2008. Scott would be a QAnon or Trump fanatic these days, if he also weren't so anti-American. One day he finally gets frustrated with Poppy just because she's so all over the place, yet always cheery - but really, is his problem with Poppy or with himself? Sometimes the only thing you can do is cut that kind of person right out of your life, I guess.
(Besides, Scott's wrong about the depth of the Washington Monument, it's only 37 feet deep underground, not 111 - so the total height does NOT add up to 666 feet, sorry. But this is an indication of how hard it is for conspiracy theorists to be proven wrong, because while they SAY they do their own research on things, they very rarely do. Just saying.)
Plus, come on, how good of a driving instructor is Scott, anyway - he's teaching her to drive on the left side of the road! That seems quite dangerous! Oh, right, it's all backwards in the U.K., isn't it? The steering wheel's on the right side of the car and the roundabouts go anti-clockwise or something. I've never been there but I think I'd probably find it all quite confusing. Maybe someday I'll go and it will all feel very weird.
Also starring Eddie Marsan (last seen in "Filth"), Alexis Zegerman, Andrea Riseborough (last seen in "W.E."), Sinead Matthews (last seen in "Nanny McPhee Returns"), Nonso Anozie (ditto), Kate O'Flynn (last seen in "Bridget Jones's Baby"), Sara Niles, Joseph Kloska, Sylvestra Le Touzel (last seen in "The Death of Stalin"), Karina Fernandez (last seen in "The Sense of an Ending"), Oliver Maltman (ditto), Stanley Townsend (last seen in "The Current War: Director's Cut"), Samuel Roukin (last seen in "Bright Star"), Caroline Martin, Trevor Cooper (last seen in "Wuthering Heights" (1992)), Jack MacGeachin, Charlie Duffield, Ayotunde Williams.
RATING: 6 out of 10 Brits learning the flamenco
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