HARD TRUTHS: 3 ½ STARS. “an unforgettable portrait of a destructive woman.”
SYNOPSIS: Set in London, the character study “Hard Truths,” now playing in theatres, follows a depressed middle-aged woman as she blazes a path through life.
CAST: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, David Webber, Tuwaine Barrett, Ani Nelson, Sophia Brown. Directed by Mike Leigh.
REVIEW: It’s hard to imagine a character less likable than Pansy, as played by Marianne Jean-Baptiste in “Hard Truths.” She’s crabby, caustic and never leaves a sharp comment unsaid. Whether you are family, the local dentist, a store clerk or a complete stranger at the neighborhood grocery, no one is spared her wrath.
You wouldn’t want to spend a second with her in real life but shot through the empathetic lens of Mike Leigh’s camera and performed with depth by Jean-Baptiste, she becomes, if not sympathetic, at least understandable.
What could have been a portrait of an unpleasant person becomes something fathomable as we learn of Pansy’s past. A deep seeded grief informs her every move. Leigh’s script doesn’t dig deep, but it doesn’t have to, he has Jean-Baptiste to portray the hurt that drives Pansy to extremes. It is a ferocious performance, one that reverberates with pain.
You may not want to spend a lot of time with her, but Jean-Baptiste guarantees you’ll be fascinated by her.
“Hard Truths” does get repetitive in places, but as a showcase for Jean-Baptiste it is an unforgettable portrait of a destructive woman unable, or unwilling, to love herself.
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