Hard Truths (12A)
Directed by Mike Leigh

 
SIX years after Peterloo, legendary director Mike Leigh finally returns to what he does best — an intimate portrait of ordinary family life. 
 
Set in contemporary London, this drama, written and directed by Leigh, explores the intricacies of family relationships in a post-Covid world. At times it feels like you are watching a documentary as these characters seem so realistic and so extreme. 
 
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who starred in Leigh’s 1996 Secrets and Lies, gives a frankly extraordinary performance as the acid-tongued and unfiltered Pansy who takes no prisoners as she vents her anger on the world. That includes her long-suffering husband Curtley (David Webber), her 22-year-old unemployed son Moses (Tuwaine Barrett) who she thinks is wasting his life, her sister Chantelle (Michele Austin) who is a single mum, as well as shop assistants, drivers and people in queues. 
 
Pansy, who suffers from agoraphobia and hypochondria, is masking a deep depression. As the film slowly unfolds you learn her hard truth, and it all comes to a head on Mother’s Day when Chantelle persuades Pansy to visit their mum’s grave.
 
Yet she is so rude and vile, and sucks the life and energy out of wherever she is, that it is difficult to feel sympathy for her (we all know someone like that) while Chantelle, a successful hairdresser, is all warmth and joy despite bringing up her two adult daughters, who still live with her, single-handedly. Their flat is full of laughter and love while Pansy’s suburban home is more like a show house, cold and sterile, as Pansy keeps it spotless with her obsessive cleaning and her husband and son stay clear of her. 
 
Everyone from the leads to those with small roles give phenomenal performances in this snapshot of modern British family life. It is the second time Jean-Baptiste and Austin have played sisters since they appeared in Leigh’s 1993 play. 
 
It is beautifully shot by the late cinematographer Dick Pope who filmed all of Leigh’s films and this was his last ever work.
 
The film does not spoon-feed you as, in classic Leigh style, he leaves it up to you to interpret and discuss the haunting and thought-provoking ending, and to evaluate Marianne Jean-Baptiste’s formidable portrayal, a 5-star performance worthy of an Oscar.
 
In cinemas January 31