Hard Truths review – Marianne Jean-Baptiste’s blistering performance is the angry heart of Mike Leigh’s drama
Playing a raging but inwardly terrified housewife, the actor and a fine supporting case are the intense focus of a story that cries out for closure
Anyone who has ever heard the director Mike Leigh interviewed will know that he is not a man who is given to enthusiasm. He doesn’t effuse; rather he growls, a bristly, whiskery warning to the world to keep its distance. Listening to him, you could be forgiven for assuming that, with a career spanning more than half a century, seven Oscar nominations, a Cannes Palme d’Or (for Secrets & Lies) and a Venice Golden Lion (for Vera Drake), Leigh is not much of a fan of anything to do with the film industry. But then you watch one of his films – his latest, Hard Truths, for example – and it becomes clear that there is one passion that remains undimmed over the years, one thing that he cherishes above all others. And that is actors and their craft.
The British director has a distinctive way of working that amplifies and embraces the contribution of his cast. This is not just a case of handing an actor a few inert lines on page and hoping for the best. His films are born out of an extended process of workshopping and rehearsals. Dialogue is chewed over; characters are fully lived in; stories are grown out of the fertile collaboration between director and performers. It’s a way of working that has pros and cons for the final film, but what’s undeniable is that Leigh’s method has helped give birth to some viscerally powerful performances over the years, the latest of which is a quite remarkable Bafta-nominated, British independent film awards-winning turn from Marianne Jean-Baptiste in the central role of housewife Pansy.
Continue reading...Topics
-
From the archives: Marianne Faithfull on the hard road to becoming a legend
Singer and actress Marianne Faithfull, who was part of the 1960s British Invasion with her hit single "As Tears Go By," and who was a muse to Mick Jagger, died on Thursday, January 30, 2025, at age ...CBS News - 2d -
Jimpa review – Olivia Colman soars in otherwise muddled queer family drama
Sundance film festival: Australian director Sophie Hyde’s earnest, semi-autobiographical film moves before it starts to meander. More so than other film festivals, Sundance can be a kingmaking ...The Guardian - Jan. 24 -
O'Donnell thanks viewers for embracing "hard news with heart"
Oprah Winfrey takes us back through Norah O'Donnell's five years as anchor and managing editor of "CBS Evening News."CBS News - Jan. 23 -
The Shetland Way by Marianne Brown review – a daughter’s journey to the heart of the climate crisis
An environmental writer returns to her father’s home for his funeral in a family memoir that becomes an examination of Shetland’s crucial role in the energy landscape. As with many nature-centric ...The Guardian - Jan. 12 -
Marianne Jean-Baptiste on Oscar buzz for role in "Hard Truths"
Award-winning actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste, known for roles in "How to Get Away with Murder" and "Without a Trace," is receiving serious Oscar buzz for her performance in "Hard Truths." Reuniting ...CBS News - Jan. 10 -
Review: In 'Santosh,' a cop-corruption drama with shades of 'Serpico,' a woman rises in the ranks
Writer-director Sandhya Suri draws on her background in documentary filmmaking to arrive at a detail-laden police procedural about abuses of power in India.Los Angeles Times - Jan. 10 -
Review: Duck and cover, here comes Mike Leigh's punishing 'Hard Truths'
The director's latest misanthropic drama, following such films as "Bleak Moments" and "Naked," is a puckeringly sour delight, socked over by Marianne Jean-Baptiste.Los Angeles Times - Jan. 9 -
How does Mike Leigh make a movie? It's complicated, but his actors wouldn't have it any other way
Marianne Jean-Baptiste reunited with her 'Secrets & Lies' director to make the harrowing 'Hard Truths.' We spoke to them both about Leigh's famous prep process.Los Angeles Times - Jan. 7 -
Clues, improvisation and anti-pigeon devices – the vision behind Mike Leigh’s new film Hard Truths
The director’s trademark extemporising extends to touring suburbia to find the perfect setting for his latest production. Mike Leigh is known for asking his cast of actors to develop their ...The Guardian - Jan. 5
More from The Guardian
-
Mexico and Canada announce retaliation over Trump trade tariffs as China says it will file WTO lawsuit – US politics live
Goods from China are to face an extra 10% levy from Tuesday alongside additional 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports into US. After Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Volkswagen, ...The Guardian - 5m -
Ukraine and Russia blame each other as missile kills at least four in Kursk school
Ukraine armed forces say 84 people were rescued or had medical help after strike in Russian territory that Kyiv holds. Ukraine and Russia have traded blame for a deadly missile strike that killed ...The Guardian - 2h -
Exonerated environmental defenders to face murder retrial in El Salvador
Critics decry ‘politically motivated’ decision to revisit civil war-era charges against leaders of anti-mining campaign. Five Salvadorian environmental defenders who were exonerated of bogus civil ...The Guardian - 32m -
Pressure grows on EU to freeze minerals deal with Rwanda over DRC fighting
Belgium leads calls for suspension of agreement after Rwanda-backed rebels captured city of Goma. The EU is under mounting pressure to suspend a controversial minerals deal with Rwanda that has ...The Guardian - 25m -
Syrian leader lands in Saudi Arabia for first foreign visit since toppling Assad
Interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives in Riyadh on trip that appears to signal shift away from Iran alliance. Syria’s interim president has made his first trip abroad, travelling to Saudi ...The Guardian - 2h
More in World
-
Mexico and Canada announce retaliation over Trump trade tariffs as China says it will file WTO lawsuit – US politics live
Goods from China are to face an extra 10% levy from Tuesday alongside additional 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports into US. After Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Volkswagen, ...The Guardian - 5m -
Mercedes grand prix car raced by Stirling Moss fetches record £42.7m
Silver W196 R Stromlinienwagen sold at Stuttgart auction for highest amount ever made by a grand prix car . A streamlined Mercedes raced by Formula One greats Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio ...The Guardian - 23m -
Pressure grows on EU to freeze minerals deal with Rwanda over DRC fighting
Belgium leads calls for suspension of agreement after Rwanda-backed rebels captured city of Goma. The EU is under mounting pressure to suspend a controversial minerals deal with Rwanda that has ...The Guardian - 25m -
Exonerated environmental defenders to face murder retrial in El Salvador
Critics decry ‘politically motivated’ decision to revisit civil war-era charges against leaders of anti-mining campaign. Five Salvadorian environmental defenders who were exonerated of bogus civil ...The Guardian - 32m -
As a surgeon in Gaza, I witnessed hell visited on children. It shames me that Britain played a part in it | Nizam Mamode
I saw them killed by sniper fire and drones. Why doesn’t Labour condemn it? Why do arms keep flowing in Israel’s direction?. I had never imagined, when working as a professor of transplant surgery ...The Guardian - 35m