Vera Drake director Mike Leigh shifts gears from dreary to lighthearted for his return to the big screen. His latest film, Happy-Go-Lucky, is a comedy starring Sally Hawkins as a London primary school teacher whose seemingly boundless good cheer and love for life baffles (and in some cases exasperates) everyone she knows. ’Course, her patience is tested when she starts taking driving lessons with a rage-filled, verbally abusive instructor. Presented daily through Nov. 13, showtimes vary, Tampa Theatre, 711 N. Franklin St., downtown Tampa, $7-$9, 813-274-8981.
This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 4, 2008.