Hard Truths

Hard Truths [2024]

Film

Mike Leigh's latest character study, Hard Truths, pushes the boundaries of empathy with its protagonist, Pansy (Marianne Jean-Baptiste). Mysteriously at odds with the world, Pansy unleashes a relentless barrage of critiques and grievances—often aimed at her husband Curtley (David Webber) and son Moses (Tuwaine Barrett).

Pansy’s outbursts, whether directed at a couple resting their feet on a store sofa or a well-meaning dental hygienist, turn Hard Truths into a test of endurance. The film is as emotionally taxing as it is unpredictable in revealing Pansy’s past. Her bitterness seems rooted in grief over her mother’s death and their strained relationship, yet Leigh offers no clear answers, leaving us to sift through conjecture about how someone can grow so unrelentingly cold.

This confusion deepens when Curtley and Moses—two very reserved and mild-mannered men—bear the brunt of Pansy's relentless rage. While Leigh's methodology of filmmaking, the absence of a script and focus on improvisational writing, brings about delightful dividends with his prior work, the lack of a coherent structure and an abhorrent protagonist make for an exceedingly trying experience in Hard Truths.

While there is some semblance of emotional reward, in the form of a stranger sharing candy with Moses, this lone message of everyone being deserving of love falls flat amongst the grand picture of the film. That being, everyone other than Pansy is a redeemable person. She certainly wouldn’t be the first anti-hero, if qualifying for the title, to alienate audiences. However, the shallow development of Pansy results in a hollow figurehead as opposed to uncovering her varying complexities. As the credits roll, the lingering sense is not of missed nuance but of something that was never truly there.

That being said, if there is a reason to subject oneself to the tirade of Pansy, it lies solely in Marianne Jean-Baptiste's towering performance. The cadence in which she delivers Pansy's commentary is a furious poem that sits in the back of your mind like a gnawing pain yet compels you to watch her every move. Her introspection during a Mother's Day celebration reveals a somber side to Pansy and Jean-Baptiste's all-encompassing performance captivates. It's one thing to be able to portray Pansy's angry side, but to balance that with emotional depth is simply stunning. Jean-Baptiste is not only the most compelling part of Hard Truths-her performance alone makes the film's exhausting character study worth enduring.

Froth

Quite often I found myself begging these characters to do whatever they could to avoid Pansy. Knowing damn well that her unfettered rage would find them, and it certainly wouldn't matter if it was justified. The only way to actively avoid Pansy's fury is to quite literally avoid Pansy, which of course is an impossible task for those that live with her and her loved ones that love her unconditionally. Again, the thematic flow of all people deserving love is a little thin, but nevertheless you can't help but wish these innocent bystanders would exercise a little more caution to not stoke the flames of Pansy's anger. To help us avoid the same grievances as Pansy, yet fully immerse yourself in the terrific Jean-Baptiste performance, we've got the Stoke the Flame IPA from the lovely Cloudburst Brewing!

Incredible transition, I know.

Delightful at every sip, it is absolutely impossible to be enraged when enjoying this double dry hopped West Coast IPA. Brewed in collaboration with Grand Fir Brewing in Portland it takes on the ultimate essence of the West Coast brewing methodology, providing delicious hoppy aroma and a solid bitterness to back it up. Bursting with citrus flavors, and being smooth as hell, this IPA is a tremendous way to end the year.