Hard Truths

Thirty years after their collaboration in Secrets and Lies which won them a Palme d'Or, filmmaker Mike Leigh and actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste reunite for a compelling, multi-layered drama set in contemporary London.

Jean-Baptiste shines as a woman in crisis, struggling to communicate with her bewildered family. ‘People, I can't stand them!’ exclaims Pansy (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) as her family stares ahead at the table. It's a typically confrontational sentence from a character who spits bile for much of Hard Truths- she argues, scolds her own son and rants about pigeons. But this anti-heroine, who would quickly become unbearably misanthropic with anyone else, grows into much more than that over the course of Mike Leigh's latest film, thanks to a miraculous collaboration between filmmaker and actor. A fascinating look at grief and perseverance.