…………………………………………………

Hard Truths Movie Review

Hard Truths is a 2024 dramedy film directed by Mike Leigh and starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste. It’s a flawed, but beautifully acted and resonant film.

………………………………………………….

“I don’t understand you, but I love you“

…………………………………………………..

Pansy, angry and depressed, lashes out at family and strangers. Her constant criticism isolates her, except from her cheerful sister Chantal, who remains sympathetic despite their differences. This is a return to form for Mike Leigh, a film that is somewhat similar to ‘Secrets & Lies’ in its dramatic power and character-driven approach to storytelling. I liked it quite a bit, but I was still slightly disappointed due to its lack of a clear resolution.

We do not need to have a clear-cut conclusion to this story, but the ending that we got felt on its own rather slim and simply dissatisfactory. It just ended with no memorable moments of either closure or drama. I wanted more.

There is also the case of repetition that plagues this film, especially in the second half. It’s a simple tale that is elevated by powerful performances and strong character work, but the story itself should have been more complex, especially in that less effective second half.

But what performances these are. Marianne Jean-Baptiste delivered one of the finest actress turns of the entire year and she was sadly snubbed by the Academy. Her Pansy is an instantly memorable character and she is actually very well written. She seems one-note at first, but she becomes humanized in the second act – she clearly suffers from some sort of depression, anxiety and clearly the death of her mom and those horribly oppressive pandemic laws did a number on her. The actress was thoroughly believable as Pansy, the woman who could annoy you and make you laugh in the span of a single scene.

But I also really admired Michelle Austin as her sister Chantal. She is a bright ray of hope and the fact that she somehow manages to put up with her difficult sister in spite it all makes her a hero in her own right. Austin was deeply empathetic and just wonderful in the role.

…………………………………………………..

Pansy’s husband and son did not get much to do unfortunately, but the little time that they got still depicted their pain effectively. Hard Truths managed to balance the comedic with the dramatic tone quite deftly while the dialogue was reliably exceptional. The movie flows well, it’s understated in themes and dialogue, and the emotional resonance is strong, especially in the powerful scene at the cemetery. I just wished that Leigh knew how to conclude this story properly.