Pockets on babygrows and feet on new sofas. Parking and flowers and the disregard of coasters. Foxes and packaging and dating and grins - these are some of the elements that Pansy, the heroine of Mike Leigh's new drama, holds in disdain. What exactly she does like remains somewhat unclear. She often spends her days hidden beneath the bedcovers or engaged in the futile task of further scrubbing her already-sterile semi. She also has a tendency to berate anyone who happens to wander into her line of sight. Yet, none of these activities bring her any true sense of pleasure.

Marianne Jean-Baptiste's Pansy: On the Precipice

Pansy (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) stands on the edge, yelling at the waves. Stricken by a deep-seated depression or a trauma-triggered rage, she moves through the world like a toxic improviser, akin to Larry David. She is constantly picking apart everything around her, exuding a caustic confidence that is 90% jaundiced and only 10% justified.

The Unconventional Portrayal of Depression

In this film, Pansy's character is not an accurate representation of depression in the traditional sense. Holding her up as such seems unhelpful to the cause of Leigh's most searing and uncompromising film in years. It is a true psychological thriller, perhaps even a psycho-horror, that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.

The Gripping Nature of Hard Truths

Hard Truths is one of the most captivating films I have seen in a long time. The audience has no idea what Pansy will do next or whether those around her - her joyful sister, taciturn husband, and cowering son - will break. As you watch, you hold your breath, clutching the seat, as even the moments of apparent catharsis are undermined, and the healing process is undone before it even begins.

Leigh's Cinematic Journey

Leigh had not shot a film set in the present day since 2010's Another Year, which was shot just around the corner. That film was a milder cousin, with more gentleness in the mix. He also had not worked with Jean-Baptiste for 28 years since Secrets and Lies, her breakthrough film. That film was both funny and compassionate while also being brutal, which made the awards bodies happy to embrace it. This new film, however, may prove to be more challenging. In the world of movies, middle-aged women often have to engage in certain transgressive behaviors to stay relevant, such as having an affair with a younger colleague or belting out an aria. Pansy's disproportionate outbursts in a car park do not quite meet these expectations. It is a pity because Jean-Baptiste's performance as Pansy is a masterpiece of acid immensity, and some smaller awards bodies have already recognized her talent.

The Strange and Morbid Miracle

Hard Truths is a strange and morbid miracle. It is an almost entirely black domestic drama directed by a white filmmaker that feels entirely authentic and drab. Long after watching the film, the eerie terror of the unraveling lingers, with myriad unresolved moments eating away at you. Cracking up is easy, and Pansy is very good at it. Leigh and Jean-Baptiste have truly outdone themselves with this film.