Hard Truths - A Review

Hard Truths (Currently playing Cineplex Forum VOA/Cinémathèque québécoise, Cinéma Moderne, Cinéma Public, Cinéma du Musée VOA with STF)

Dir Mike Leigh 

Staring: Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Michele Austin

Runtime: 97 Minute

Hard Truths from director Mike Leigh, is a family drama with a mix of dark humour focusing on the Afro-Caribbean community of London. It is my first introduction to the director with hopes to log more of his films on Letterboxd soon. Leigh reunites with his past collaborators Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Michele Austin (Secrets and Lie 1997) as two sisters grieving the loss of their mother, who could not be further apart in character, however, their bond as sisters is what connects them. We don’t get to choose our family, we must learn to accept them and show them unconditional love even at times when they don’t reciprocate or acknowledge it. 

One of the strong highlights of the film that is getting critical praise is the performance of Marianne Jean-Baptiste as the central character. Pansy distances herself from the outside world, normally bedridden in her pain and gets irritated very easily. Working the night shift as a nurse for a retirement community living center she rarely ventures outside, with those around her and society being an irritant in her life.  Living with her would be her husband Curtley (David Webber), a shell of a man behind his lingering sad eyes, and Moses (Tuwaine Barrett) her 22-year-old son who lives at home with no career or educational prospects besides going on his daily walks. They receive most of Pansy’s criticism and anger directed at them, which leaves them with little to say in response. When it’s not them, Pansy talks to them about her gripes and grievances with those she encounters over their family dinners. She is never afraid to speak her mind when out in society mostly in the stores and medical appointments, think in the vein of Larry David from Curb Your Enthusiasm with a lot more anger and hostility. Speaking about pain Pansy is always in a state of pain and seeks the medical experts' advice where she gets more irritated and hostile, without focussing on what is causing the pain. 

Chantelle ( Michele Austin ) Pansy’s sister is more level-headed and works as a hairdresser, where she interacts most with Pansy. She lives with her two daughters Kayla (Ani Nelson) and Aleisha (Sophia Brown), and we do see in their work lives how they are not always valued for their contributions. Chantelle is probably the character that connects the most to Pansy, as she comes to the hair salon regularly. Tension is fraught between the sisters when Chantelle wants Pansy to come visit their deceased mother at the cemetery for Mother’s Day, to which Pansy tries to ignore the request or makes the excuse that she doesn't know how she will feel when the Sunday rolls around.  At the cemetery, both sisters share a bonding relationship moment and feel that their mom, being a single mom, did a good job of raising both of them. This is also a type of healing moment for Pansy who later joins her sister, her sister’s daughters, her husband and her son for a Mother’s Day lunch at Chantelle’s house. The men keep to themselves by not saying anything, with Curtely not responding when Chantelle asks about his mom. Moses offered something of an olive branch and a sign of love by buying his mom some flowers for mothers day, possibly forced into doing so by Chantalle’s daughters who try to get Moses out of his shell. 

Some of the Hard Truths in Mike Leigh’s film are about family. They are the ones who will love and support you unconditionally no matter what pain you are in or your personality flaws that may clash with other members. Even though some members of the family don’t get the resolution at the end of the film, we see other characters like Moses come out of their shell. Maybe there is hope for Curly and Pansy who are on the fence about separation. Even though Leigh highlights the Afro-Caribbean community of London in this mellow drama, it’s not as robust a history as director Steve McQueen’s Small Ax anthology series which I recommend alongside Hard Truths. In the end we don’t get to choose our family, and the fact that our family chooses us might be one of the hard truths Pansy needs to hear. 

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Image courtesy of Métropole Films