Mike Leigh's Hard Truths

The Hollywood Reporter.

Tatie Danielle 2.0?

She’d fit right in here…on the BRF threads for sure

Review: Mike Leigh’s “Hard Truths”: I couldn’t bare the misery anymore

I adore her.

She is great-- Hope. she gets nominated!

I watched an advanced screening of this movie at the Middleburg film festival and found it utterly irredeemable. It lacked plot and real meaning, and because of it was almost impossible to watch. There was no part of this film that I enjoyed, nor did anyone in my party who watched the film with me. If you value movies that make you feel anything other than wretched, I would highly recommend not watching this film. The actor's performances were commendable in the sense that I truly found Pansy to be the most unlikable character I have ever encountered. I left the theater feeling terrible, and I truly believe this was the worst movie I have ever watched. If I was not at a film festival, I would have walked out of the theatre.

R7: Do you like Leigh's other films—particularly "Secrets & Lies"?

Looks 👍. Beats most of the woke nonsense that came out of the UK in recent years.

Mike Leigh's Hard Turds

"Career Girls" was made the right after "Secrets & Lies" and is excellent.

Lynda Steadman's performance in the flashbacks of Career Girls in Mike Leigh indulgence at its worst. As a wallflower with a disfiguring facial skin rash she is so mannered to be hilarious.

I'm curious to see it. Mike Leigh's grimmest films are his best.

Yeah, Americans have a hard time dealing with grim plots.

I tightened up watching the preview because I have a sister who is in many ways exactly like this character. Tough, funny in a really quick, incisive way, but also progressively “removed” in her outlook and behavior. It’s really hard to find things to say to her, and just has hard to say them the right way.

[quote]Marianne Jean-Baptiste as a mouthy malcontent DL would love.

Marianne Jean-Baptiste as anything DL should love.

It premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, and is readying for a December 6 platform release before going wide in theaters January 10.

I saw the trailer and I looked dreadful. They tried to get some jokes in but it all just fell flat.

If she pulls off a nomination for this I’ll be amazed.

I love Marianne, but if I wanted to spend 2 hours with an angry, uneducated, misanthrope, I'd visit my mother.

*angry, uneducated misanthrope

Movie of the year, for me. It's brutal and heartbreaking and MJB is unmatched.

Very much feels of this moment where politics and the pandemic fucked all of our heads up royally.

I adore Marianne. Was lucky enough to meet her at the National one evening and she was gracious enough to allow me to take a selfie. I wouldn't normally do such a thing but Secrets & Lies holds a special place in my heart. My schoolfriends and I still quote it at each other 25 years later.

Hoozah. MJB won Best Actress at the New York Film Critics Circle awards.

I love Marianne and Leigh's films are always fascinating character studies.

[Quote] the epics Mr. Turner and Peterloo

Which no one has ever heard of

[Quote] Yeah, Americans have a hard time dealing with grim plots.

Yes, that’s why it’s being released in the USA first, because “Americans have a hard time” with such films. 🙄

[quote]Which no one has ever heard of

No one has time for Mike Leigh when there's all those Marvel movies to keep track of, is that it?

I love Mike Leigh's movies. Happy Go Lucky is probably my favorite. I didn't really care for Naked even though it was his first big success. I will definitely watch this.

That "happy-go-lucky" Poppy can go fuck herself.

I’ll be watching as soon as it’s available.

I’m very happy for Marianne.

New York Times review

...an astonishment of insults, barbs and accusations that she wields as both weapon and shield. A small woman with a large, yowling, at times monstrous mouth, Pansy volubly unloads on other people — family, friends, strangers, caregivers — the way some boxers throw punches, strategically, wildly, jabbing and slugging before retreating to her corner.

R32 Sounds like a woman I was once married to.

I've never quite warmed up to Mike Leigh's movies, except for Topsy Turvy and Secrets & Lies, both of which I think are masterpieces.

I think about this moment in Secrets and Lies where social worker Lesley Manville fumbles through her purse and offers her a Rolo.

[quote] Marianne Jean-Baptiste as anything DL should love.

And she's a great singer.

..an astonishment of insults, barbs and accusations that she wields as both weapon and shield

I could have played that part. With the accent AND tears.

- Viola Davis.

Time magazine - It’s a strange sensation, to end up loving a movie that makes you feel physically uncomfortable for nearly its whole runtime.

Is Marianne Jean-Baptiste a descendant of John the Baptist?

Interview with MJB

I loathe Marianne Jean-Baptiste’s voice. Absolutely hate it.

Love him, esp his older movies!

Oh No Marianne snubbed for Golden Globe.

This looks good. Black Brits, white Brits, sexy Indian Brits. I just love Brits.

Marianne Jean-Baptiste plays a woman at war with the world, and herself, every minute. She practically vibrates with belligerence: She can’t go to the grocery store without having a run-in with the cashier; her husband has given up trying to be kind and mostly avoids her; her grown son spends most of his time locked in his room, watching aviation videos—his only relief is to leave the house for long walks, the better to escape his mother’s angry force field. Why would you care about this woman’s story? For much of the film you may be yearning to get away from her. I was.

The film won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress at the National Society of Film Critics.

I just rewatched High Hopes and Life is Sweet. Mike Leigh's best work are these intimate family dramedies.

If you want to listen to Mike for an hour.

I wanna see something like this I go call up my cousin who is an angry, evil nasty bitch at war with the world. You spend ten minutes on the phone with her and you want to slit your wrists.

[quote]. Why would you care about this woman’s story? For much of the film you may be yearning to get away from her. I was.

The first act I loved Pansy. I found her angry and miserable, yet funny. Then, when I saw the pain she caused her family and the pain she was enduring, I found my sympathy and empathy for her. Marianne Jean-Baptiste was incredible.

There’s an irritating lezzy cunniligus scene

Best Actress Winner for Marianne at London Critics Circle Film Awards.

Just watched this last night... and was profoundly moved. It's not easy to watch, even though some of the MJB's tirades were hilarious. It's not Leigh's best film as a whole, but the MJB dialogue was a symphony of words. That MJB wasn't nominated for Best Actress is curious, certainly. It was a bravura performance.

But that Leigh wasn't nominated for best original screenplay is equally baffling. The Substance was better written? Hardly.

R47 Mike Leigh was my favorite director after those two films, then he made Naked (1993), his masterpiece. The magnificent creep played by David Thewlis is a creation of such complexity and fury I guess I was hoping Pansy would be a female version. But Pansy is a waking, walking fulmination. Everyone in her path is treated with the same level of outrage it's shocking, then monotonous. Leigh doesn't give us any reason to be hopeful that anything would change. The characters are the same from beginning to end.

R54 I think that a central theme, and a strength. of the script is that there is no "redemption" offered, no way out. The sister gives hints of a narrative that winds up in movement and resolution and healing. And indeed Pansy does "change" at her mother's grave and at her sister's house, in response to her sister's care. But it doesn't last, in fact even Pansy putting the flowers in water... a hint of healing and momentum.... is destroyed by her husband throwing the flowers in the yard. A normal script wants us to pull for the "aggrieved" husband, but no... his damage is complete too. A stark and unusual story...not for everyone.

R55 Yes, I should have been explicit I wasn't looking for redemption, fortunately that's not Leigh's game. But even his films with grim subject matter have something you could call hope, a touch of humor that lets in some light. But indeed it is a hard truth that for some people there is no hope or light.

Agree with everyone who was moved by this film... It was actually one of the best films this year, but not one I would want to revisit often. It is THAT effective.

Marianne was fucking brilliant and I want to give a shout out to the woman who played the sister- she (Michele Austin) was PHENOMENAL- They both should have been no brainers for Oscar nominations.

A little trivia if no one knows- She (Michele)played Hortense's friend((or was it cousin?) in Secrets and Lies (the conversation in front of the window over dinner/wine)

And (spoiler) ...... the flowers scene made me fucking cry... and for some reason so did SPOILER............. the last scene with Moses in the city meeting that nice girl)

Such a waste that Karla got nominated over Marianne... If Marianne got in I would actually be torn between Demi and Marianne.

Just watched it tonight with my husband. Though we've loved some of Mike Leigh films like Secrets & Lies and Topsy-Turvy, this one really lost us. It was just unrelentingly miserable and morbid with no redemption, no pay-off, no real conclusion even. No way in emotionally or even intellectually for me.

I didn't get the art direction of Pansy's home. While I get that they were attempting a super sterile look (which I get), why did everything in her home looked like it was bought from the same store last week? The ultra-modern kitchen looked like it was installed last week, too. Hard to believe either Pansy or her husband would have chosen any of the furniture and decor of that house or would have renovated the kitchen that recently in their supremely unhappy marriage.

I blame Mike Leigh more than Marianne Jean-Baptiste but her performance had so little variation. No arc. Everything at the same ugly pitch. Except for the scene at her sister's home where she breaks down about the Mother's Day flowers. Not surprised there was no Oscar nomination.

R58- I read a critic review who had issues with the set decoration- I thought that it was perfect. It was very NOT Mike Leigh. I think it was related to Pansy's phobias and cleaning- but also meant to throw the viewer off.. she was messy AF, but the austere setting was so clean.. I think it was symbolic, but also meant to cause discomfort for the viewer..

The lack of resolution and "cliffhanger" ending adds to the discomfort. Leigh wanted us to feel uncomfortable just like Pansy's family.

You have reminded me to NEVER watch his film again. But it's more than worth watching once.

I got the point of the cleanliness (and sterility) of the home. It was the newness of everything that seemed totally uncharacteristic for Pansy and her husband. I wish my kitchen was that brand new. I found it hard to imagine what their lives were like day to day living in that environment.

It discomfited me in its wrongheadedness.

I'm waiting for this to become available online so I can torrent it. I love Mike Leigh. I think Another Year and Happy Go Lucky are his best films.

R61, have you seen some of his BBC tv movies? There's one from the early 80s called Grown Ups with Brenda Blethyn and Lesley Manville that I love. Oh here it is on YouTube. Great great movie.

FFS if you haven't seen Naked you have no business talking about Mike Leigh. Everyone just shut up.

Tim Rozon

I liked this one a lot. I just got to see it since it came up for rent on Apple.

Marianne really should’ve been nominated. Especially when you look back so early in the season and see how Gascon’s nomination became so toxic… Such a waste.

Hard Labour and Meantime are easily found. I like the early stuff too.

[Quote] couldn’t bare the misery anymore

Well, keep it covered then.

That co-worker of the father was hot! Ugly sexy Jonathan Livingstone.

Marianne was fantastic and I love Mike Leigh but this was a tough one to sit through. But I'm glad they didn't tack on some fake happy ending.

Why did curtley throw away her flowers?

Yes the ending seemed bleak for Pansy but hopeful for Moses.