Review: Duck and cover, here comes Mike Leigh’s punishing ‘Hard Truths’
Mike Leigh’s film “Hard Truths” presents an opportunity to spend 90 minutes with a woman who is arguably the most exasperating character you could imagine. If you’ve encountered someone worse in real life, my sympathies go out to you. The fact that this difficult experience turns out to be worthwhile is testament to Leigh’s fascination with unpleasant individuals and their self-imposed misery traps. Across multiple films like “Bleak Moments,” “Naked,” and “Happy-Go-Lucky,” Leigh consistently portrays his curmudgeons as enduring more than anyone else due to their inability to find peace, thanks to their stubborn minds. In this particular film, the character Pansy (played by Marianne Jean-Baptiste), a London housewife, is always seen frowning before sleep and screaming upon waking – her frustration is an endless power source. When her more serene sister Chantelle (Michele Austin) questions why she can’t find joy, Pansy honestly replies, “I don’t know!
In the film, Jean-Baptiste, who was previously nominated for an Oscar in “Secrets & Lies” under the same director, delivers a fiery performance that blazes on screen like a flamethrower. This firestorm begins at the dinner table with a memorable line – “I can’t stand cheerful, grinning people!” – and proceeds to incinerate everything in sight, from dogs wearing sweaters to baby clothes adorned with pockets. Her scathing criticism is laugh-out-loud funny, if not for those around her. Pansy’s husband, Curtley (David Webber), a plumber, and their 22-year-old son, Moses (Tuwaine Barrett), who seems oppressed and idle, sit in silence, fearing they might provoke her wrath. Pansy’s miserly nature makes one momentarily question if she’ll be haunted by three spirits. However, it soon becomes clear that Webber and Barrett are portraying their characters as if they were already living with two ghosts.
In a simplified and more conversational manner, the sentence could be rephrased as follows: Pansy often makes things seem worse than they really are. She complains about Curtley’s backyard as if it were a terrible slum from Dickens’ novels; later, she accuses Virgil (Jonathan Livingstone) of being mute, but when we meet him, he never stops talking. It’s clear that Pansy is the source of the problem, but our own desire to understand her – to find a solution for her pain – makes us analyze her outbursts for clues. We’re trying to figure out where she (and our empathy) should be placed on a scale between being downright cruel and mentally unwell.
In our narrative, as we compile a series of items that set off Pansy’s anxieties (such as elevators, germs, animals, beautiful flower arrangements), her world seems increasingly restrictive, a notion reinforced by the cinematographer, Dick Pope, through a shot depicting her trembling ascent up stairs, her weary face appearing behind the bars on the handrails, giving an impression of confinement within a cell. The music echoes somber tones, much like a dirge, as director Ken Loach selectively allows particular sounds to intrude upon Pansy’s sterile existence. Among these chosen sounds is the soothing cooing of pigeons – considered pests by some but also resilient creatures that have learned to thrive on scraps of kindness. This theme runs throughout the film, with acts of patience and kindness serving as vital nourishment, even if we find ourselves drawn more towards scenes where Pansy encounters harsh words from strangers.
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Marianne Jean-Baptiste reconnected with her “Secrets & Lies” director, working together again on the intense production of “Hard Truths.” We had a chat with them both regarding Leigh’s renowned preparation technique.
As a film enthusiast, I must say that Leigh’s cinematic approach in this movie isn’t about crafting tales of profound character transformations. Instead, it seems like he’s stitched together scenes much like a quilt, each one serving as a reflection on the art of expressing discontent. This film, surprisingly, advocates for the value of voicing our grievances appropriately. Chantelle, a hairdresser, understands this well, having built connections with her clients who confide in her their sorrows and insecurities. Even when they laugh at life’s harsh realities—infidelity, body image issues, death—it’s a shared bonding experience.
However, Pansy, unfortunately, endures genuine hardships. Her aging body is riddled with physical ailments, causing her pain even when she attempts to laugh. Yet, it’s her excessive, seemingly unwarranted complaining that pushes away those who might help—a doctor, a dentist—as they become frustrated and disengaged.
Chantelle has two grown-up kids, Kayla (Ani Nelson) and Aleisha (Sophia Brown), who seem to be the picture of health in the movie. Their constant cheerfulness might make anyone who’s ever played a family peacekeeper feel uneasy. However, the director hints that there’s more to them than meets the eye. In one scene, they appear to be meeting at a bar to chat, but the director suggests they are hiding something behind their pleasant facade. The sisters’ overly sweet and smiling demeanor stands out starkly against the film’s title. While we might find their excessive positivity appealing, we can’t deny that it’s not necessarily healthy.
Kayla and Aleisha stand out starkly compared to the lethargic, submissive Moses, which leaves one in awe that they share any DNA connection at all. As Leigh crafts scenes showcasing their lives, the movie leaves us pondering whether our personalities are more influenced by nature or nurture. I’m not entirely satisfied with the term “soul,” but it does appear as though people are born either naturally open-hearted or closed. Regardless of who Pansy is, parents can only influence how much they aggravate their child’s existing predispositions.
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The majority of character names are either straightforward (like Curtley for a silent man) or ironic (such as Pansy, for a bulldozer who detests nature). Moses’ full name, Moses Kingsley Deacon, seems to imply some of his mother’s unfulfilled aspirations. On the surface, he appears quite an awkward creation. I can understand that Moses has retreated so deeply into himself that at 6 feet 3, he barely seems present; but it’s hard to believe a child as evasive as him would leave a banana peel on his mother’s immaculate kitchen counter, knowing she’d storm up to his room in anger. It doesn’t seem plausible for such an avoidant character to behave that way, does it?
Throughout the movie, we grapple with how much compassion to extend towards them (Jim and Curtley). Indeed, Pansy’s cruel treatment makes their lives difficult. Yet, they have the ability to leave, recognize her presence, or even prepare their own meals. The limits of personal accountability largely invalidate our reasons for their actions; by the end, these adult men appear both mistreated and collaborative.
Or more casually:
As the movie progresses, we struggle with how much pity to feel for Jim and Curtley. Sure, Pansy’s tormenting doesn’t make life easy for them. But they could move out or acknowledge her existence, or at least cook their own food. Most of our justifications for their behavior are challenged by personal responsibility; in the end, these grown men seem to be both victims and accomplices.
The movie doesn’t deliver its powerful final scene without an overly prolonged ending that tests our tolerance. Earlier in the film, there’s a crucial moment when Pansy is so emotionally overwhelmed she falls speechless. In the theater where I was watching, the heavy tension emanating from the screen filled the room, with everyone holding their breath in anticipation. However, at the most sensitive moment for Pansy, someone broke the silence with an insensitive laugh, “Hehe,” seemingly expressing their disdain for her. That’s a harsh reality to confront.
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2025-01-09 14:31