Hard Truths, 2024.
Written and directed by Mike Leigh.
Starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, Sophia Brown, Ani Nelson, and David Webber.
SYNOPSIS:
Set in London, Leigh’s new film explores family relationships in the post-pandemic world.
Mike Leigh has been one of the most pioneering voices in the UK film industry since the 1970s with the likes of Naked, Secrets & Lies, Vera Drake and Another Year all earning plaudits and showcasing his range and how much he is able to get out of his casts. His latest Hard Truths sees him reunite with one of his Secrets & Lies stars Marianne Jean-Baptiste who received an Academy Award nomination for her supporting performance in that film. Anticipation is naturally high to see how the pair work together after 28 years, with Hard Truths also marking Leigh’s first film in the present day since 2010’s Another Year.
Jean-Baptiste’s Pansy is living a deeply unhappy life, scarred by trauma and venting her angst at those she comes into contact with. This immediately apparent from our first interaction with her where she wakes from a nightmare with a scream, no-one around her to console her. Her husband Curtley seems detached from her unhappiness and drifts along, oblivious.
Pansy’s sister Chantelle (Michele Austin) is the most compassionate person in her life, a hairdresser and mother to two young women. The relationship between the two sisters an awkward one but Chantelle is perhaps the only person who understands how upset and angry Pansy truly is. Chantelle and her daughters exist in a polar opposite world to Pansy with Aleisha (Sophia Brown) a trainee lawyer and Kayla (Ani Nelson) working for a skincare company. The pair overcome obstacles at work and share a loving relationship with each other and their mother.
One drawback is Aleisha and Kayla being more peripheral characters, the segments exploring their lives are certainly engaging yet we don’t get to know them as we do some of the other ensemble come the films end. This is a result of the runtime at just over 90 minutes it is surprisingly short for a Mike Leigh but regardless it is impressive how well he is operating at 81, showing no sign of slowing down.
The performances help elevate Hard Truths from what might otherwise be overbearing and there are moments where Pansy’s constant frustration can be excessive but Jean Baptiste once again shows how well she works with Leigh’s material and she may feature in awards conversations.
The subject matter is certainly not the most upbeat, dealing with depression and anger yet Leigh finds room to bring in plenty of laughs, especially in the film’s first half with Pansy letting loose at staff in the supermarket, furniture store, her doctor and dentist balancing the underlying darkness with humour. Pansy’s anger has reduced Curtley and their son Moses to awkward silences, unsure how to help her.
Hard Truths is another strong entry in Mike Leigh’s filmography, if not his finest hour it shows he is willing to discuss difficult subjects even at 81 with one of his finest films in recent times. The performances really elevate it and while some of the themes are left largely to the audiences’ interpretation, there is plenty to admire.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Chris Connor
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