Hard Truths (Mike Leigh, 2024, UK/Spain)
Mike Leigh's first film in 6 years, and his first non-period film since 2010's Another Year , Hard Truths marks a return to form for the British auteur. Clocking in at roughly an hour and a half, Truths is a character-driven kitchen-sink-style drama that the director is perhaps best known for. It marks the second collaboration between Leigh and actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who is perhaps best known for starring in Leigh's essential 1996 film Secrets & Lies . Hard Truths centers around an angry woman named Pansy Deacon, who lives with her husband Curtley and her adult son Moses. Moses, clearly also suffering from his form of depression, sits around at home all day and occasionally goes for walks. Curtley and Pansy's relationship is strained, and it seems Curtley has checked out of their relationship entirely. Pansy goes about her day getting into various confrontations with the people she encounters. The only person for whom she seems to have any good feeli...
