To walk past Cinema 1 at Picturehouse Central this morning while Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths screened inside, you might have assumed that a comedy was playing. For a film centered solely around one woman’s relentless and agonizing depression, Leigh certainly squeezed every last beat of comedy out of his new picture – making for a rich and textured slice-of-life drama you won’t want to miss.
Led by the phenomenal Marianne Jean-Baptiste in the role of Pansy, Hard Truths showcases Leigh’s signature kitchen sink, bleak-but-brilliant storytelling in a way that seems fit for 2024. Yes, the queue at the shop is painful… yes, Curtley’s snoring is unbearable… and yes, that man in the car park doesn’t know who he’s talking to – and Pansy has no fear in telling you all about it. But among the shouting, the slammed doors and the sheer stubbornness that seems to rule her every decision, Leigh ekes out moments of honesty, regret and resentment in a way that only those who have lived through grief could ever understand.
Hard Truths is a story of family, mental health, resilience and pain – but for every outpouring of Pansy’s rage, there’s a laugh, a dance or a cheeky comment from her sister, Chantelle and nieces Kayla and Aleisha to maintain order. It’s a balancing act of heart, humour and wit in a way that only seems right told through a British lens, supported by an amazing cast and backed by a score that reminds us of how life simply… goes on – even after those we love have gone. [Credit: Lisa Kenney]
HARD TRUTHS is a feature film that shot in May and June 2023, written and directed by Mike Leigh and produced by Georgina Lowe for their company Thin Man Films. Set in London, Mike Leigh’s new film explores family relationships in the post-pandemic world. After over a decade spent making his two epic period films MR. TURNER and PETERLOO, Mike Leigh returns to his ongoing exploration of the contemporary world with this tragi-comic study of human strengths and weaknesses.
Since his first feature film, BLEAK MOMENTS (1971), Mike Leigh has made twenty-one full-length films. Eight of these were made primarily for British television (1972-1984) and were shot on film. The rest have all been popular motion pictures, all have won international awards, and many of them have been commercially successful.
Mike’s films are about many things, but above all they are about people. They are character-driven. He is known for the detailed characterisations and vivid performances consistently given by his actors. As writer and director, he combines the usually separate processes of writing, rehearsing and shooting. Involving months of improvisation, discussion and research, this painstaking approach enables him to discover the form and content of each picture by embarking on the journey of making it.
Working collaboratively with his casts and crews, the complete, unrestrained freedom Mike has always enjoyed has ensured freshness and diversity in his projects. His methods liberate actors and technicians alike, and his shoots are famously harmonious.
This has succeeded not only with all his films, but also with over twenty original stage plays. These have included productions for the National Theatre of Great Britain and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and several have enjoyed runs in London’s West End.
