Written and directed by Mike Leigh, Pansy is a woman tormented by anger and depression, hypersensitive to the slightest possible offence and ever ready to fly off the handle. Her cheerful sister Chantal, who, despite their clashing temperaments, might be the only person still capable of sympathising with her. Starring: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, Tuwaine Barrett, David Webber, Jonathan Livingstone, Sophia Brown and Ani Nelson.
The first thing to get out of the way with Hard Truths is that this is not meant to be an easy watch, it’s purposefully uncomfortable to a fairly extreme degree. That’s because it centres itself entirely around a character who is relentlessly negative, combative and critical. Mike Leigh chose to explore mental health in a very unusual way, typically depressed characters are portrayed as introverted and quiet, whereas all of Pansy’s (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) struggles are represented through her outpouring of complaints and aggression.
You can’t help but to be impressed by Marianne Jean-Baptiste’s performance because it’s so very intense. It’s almost exhausting just thinking about the astounding amount of energy she had to put into this character. She barely has a chance to breath in-between the dialogue let alone the physical strain of her constantly fighting invented battles. The nuances to this performance and having to be so broken yet so feisty are quite remarkable.
When you then pair that with Michele Austin’s Chantelle, it’s akin to a yin and yang, she’s the lightness to Pansy’s darkness. She has her own issues but she presents a positive front, she’s delightfully bubbly, and that’s mirrored nicely by her daughters. It’s a very different kind of emotional performance and it combines with Jean-Baptiste’s so well. Not to mention how easy it is to relate to her exasperation with Pansy battling with the love of her family.
All of this is packaged within a surprisingly simple style. Leigh keeps things exceptionally humble, perhaps even a touch too much. It can feel a little basic at times but you can see the intention to put all of the focus on these characters with no bells or whistles. He’s not relying on sharp, edgy editing or a melancholy score, he’s letting the story and performances speak for themselves. Again, it’s something that’s not going to work for everyone but fans of Leigh will see the value in it.
Part of that is because it’s balanced with a very British sense of humour. The sarcasm, the looks and the witty banter, it’s all in there and it comes in unexpected moments. It is a heavy film, you can’t deny that but at the same time, it isn’t getting caught up in that depressive nature. It holds onto an everyday quality that’s hugely sympathetic and relatable. Not to mention that it’s great to see a filmmaker who captures a different, more realistic side of London life. The great mix of cultures and backgrounds, and not straying into the tourist-friendly view. With perhaps the exception of one scene Piccadilly Circus, which is surprisingly sweet.
Within Hard Truths, Mike Leigh creates a melody of sadness, depression, loneliness and trauma. It’s difficult to watch but an impressively realistic portrayal of mental health issues, particularly in that there is no easy solution or dramatic improvements. It may not exactly be the companion to Secrets & Lies that fans are hoping for but as another vehicle for another powerful performance from the incredible Marianne Jean-Baptiste, it does not disappoint.
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