In watching Hard Truths, the first film from writer-director Mike Leigh since 2018’s Peterloo, it’s hard not to think of the film in conjunction with the rest of his career, and in a way, how the other movies in his filmography are speaking to this one. Naturally, Secrets & Lies comes to mind, as Leigh finds himself reuniting with Marianne Jean-Baptiste. So does the brashness of Naked, and the unsettling home life of Meantime. But strangely, it’s 2008’s Happy-Go-Lucky, that most comes to mind, particularly with the film acting as almost the polar opposite to that film’s sensibility.

What Is ‘Hard Truths’ About?

In Happy-Go-Lucky, Sally Hawkins played Poppy, a character whose constant optimism is a ray of light to everyone she comes into contact with, regardless of whether they want that level of joy in their life or not. The perfect contrast to that bubbly personality comes in Jean-Baptiste’s Pansy, who finds frustration in every person she meets and their every action. When we first meet Pansy, she wakes up with a scream, as though she’s coming out of slumber ready to fight. At first, Pansy’s antagonistic attitude is almost comically irritating, as no one can so much as breathe around Pansy without her jumping down their throats. She goes to a furniture store and complains that the worker there wants to help her with a couch. She goes to a doctor and dentist and questions every single decision they make in trying to undergo their observations.

Her exasperation is at first humorous, but then, we start to see the true impact that Pansy’s attitude has on those around her. She yells at her husband Curtley (David Webber) over the simplest tasks, and her son Moses (Tuwaine Barrett) seemingly goes on daily walks solely for the silence they provide. Whenever Pansy expectedly raises her voice at them, they respond with a blank stare, a sign of exhaustion, knowing full well that it’s better to just let her get this ire out of her system before she moves on to the next thing.

The counterbalance to Pansy is her sister Chantelle (Michele Austin), who, unlike Pansy, finds happiness in her life. As a hairdresser, Chantelle is a great people person, and she’s playful with her two daughters Savannah (Tiwa Lade) and Anna (Bryony Miller). Even just looking at their homes shows the difference between the two siblings. There are no signs of life in Pansy’s dour house, it’s naturally darker, and the space is filled with either glaring silence or Pansy’s rants. But Chantelle leaves her door open and lets the light in, a home full of good memories, and life, as she and her daughters fill their home with laughter. Leigh’s film begs the question: what made Pansy and Chantelle have such divergent outlooks on life?

Marianne Jean-Baptiste Gives One of the Year’s Best Performances in Her Reunion With Mike Leigh
Image via StudioCanal

Considering Jean-Baptiste and Leigh’s last collaboration, Secrets & Lies, earned both Oscar nominations, and Leigh has a penchant for utilizing the same actors in multiple projects, it’s quite surprising these two haven’t collaborated as actor and writer-director in this capacity since. But Hard Truths makes this reunion well worth the wait. Jean-Baptiste’s role as Pansy holds her feelings close to the chest, yet we know that there must be something deep down that has made her this way, something more destructive than just the day’s obstacles. We never hate Pansy, but rather, we sympathize with this woman who we can’t quite figure out. Even though Jean-Baptiste is essentially utilizing different types of rage in this performance, the range that she finds within that toolbox is immense. Especially as we begin to get clues as to what could’ve led to this, it becomes clear that not even Pansy is content with who she’s become, a tragic character who doesn’t know how to escape this pit she finds herself in. Jean-Baptiste makes an extremely difficult role sing, and it could end up being one of the strongest performances of the year.

Of course, Pansy’s fury doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and equally important is the fantastic supporting cast who has to reckon with Pansy’s actions. Particularly excellent is Austin, who is the only one brave enough to still give her sister a chance at redemption. She wants to know what’s really going on, as the closest person to Pansy, yet she still doesn’t have any answers. It’s particularly difficult to see the light in Chantelle dim when she comes in contact with Pansy, but she knows she must do what she can to save her sister from herself. It’s a tremendous performance that shows immense love and care even in the worst of situations.

Image via TIFF

Also great are Webber and Barrett, who show the toll Pansy’s actions have taken on this family. They’ve given up, and Pansy seemingly hasn’t come to realize this fact yet, always more concerned with herself. Both the characters of Curtley and Moses are mostly silent, but again, there’s so much we can learn from their dead stares, or as they stay silent eating their meals to a soundtrack of Pansy’s listing of grievances. Also beautifully explored are the other sisters, Savannah and Anna. Here, Leigh is showing just how delightful a true sisterly bond can be, while also hinting that maybe Pansy and Chantelle could’ve once had a relationship as strong as this one. The way Leigh uses these characters to inform us of Pansy’s story is impeccably handled, a sign of a master storyteller that still has plenty to offer.

Hard Truths is a remarkable presentation of Leigh’s work as a filmmaker and shows that even in his 80s, he’s one of the most vibrant and exciting writer-directors we have. Leigh takes the time to build his characters and his world with these actors, and the proof is right on screen. Even when Leigh hides the answers to these “hard truths,” and leaves things open to the interpretation of the audience, it’s clear he deeply knows every detail of what creates his troubled world. His reunion with Jean-Baptiste makes one wish they had even more films together under their belt since first working together almost thirty years ago, but Hard Truths more than makes up for this. After decades of making incredible work, Leigh proves that he’s still an essential voice in filmmaking today.

Hard Truths had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.