Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
Writer-Director Mike Leigh and Actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste team-up again after 28 years to tell this story about empathy and compassion.
Hard Truths follows Pansy (Jean-Baptiste), an angry and depressed woman, who lashes out at everyone and everything. Her husband Curtley (David Webber) and son Moses (Twain Barrett) get the brunt of her angry on a daily basis. To distance themselves from her hurtful criticisms, they flee the house or isolate in rooms within it. Only Pansy’s cheerful sister Chantelle (Michele Austin) remains sympathetic toward her.
It’s difficult to be around consistently negative individuals. If Hard Truths had Pansy in each frame, many audiences would find it difficult to endure the run time. When we are with her, we feel uncomfortable and upset. Albeit, even frustrated at times. We tend to socially distance ourselves from the Pansys of the world and seek-out positive people. This is why Chantelle is integral, not simply for the story, but for the viewing experience.
Once Chantelle is introduced, we feel the optimism from her. Austin gives a captivating performance as the living, empathic sister. She allows room for the audience to come up for air from the spiteful rhetoric Pansy erupts with. Jean-Baptiste is cast perfectly because she’s a charismatic presence. We want to understand Pansy because of her nuanced performance. And when we see them together, we know the true purpose of Leigh’s latest.
The most affecting scene occurs at a cemetery, where Pansy and Chantelle visit their late mother’s grave. We get a glimpse into why Pansy is the way she is. Austin and Jean-Baptiste are incredible together in this scene and throughout. The brilliance of Leigh’s Script and Jean-Baptiste’s performance is that they allow Pansy to remain a mystery. They peel back enough layers to allow the audience to empathize with her, while never fully forgiving her.
While Hard Truths may be a hard watch, it leaves the audience with the message that even the most frustrating individuals deserve compassion.
Mongrel Media release HARD TRUTHS in cinemas on Friday, January 24, 2025.
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