By John Corrado

Pansy Deacon (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), the lead character in British writer-director Mike Leigh’s new movie Hard Truths, is a bitter woman with a chip perpetually on her shoulder.

She is miserable every time she steps out into the world, but not much happier at home either, where she is constantly nagging after husband Curtley (David Webber), and their shy, selectively verbal young adult son Moses (Tuwaine Barrett). They respond to her with what can only be described as quiet resignation.

Pansy delivers acid-tongued insults to anyone that she feels is getting in her way, from salesclerks to dental hygienists. As a protagonist, she exists almost as the polar opposite of Sally Hawkins’ Poppy from Leigh’s 2008 gem Happy-Go-Lucky.

Pansy does test our patience, but Leigh and Jean-Baptiste (reteaming for the first time since Secrets & Lies in 1996) are almost daring us to still have sympathy for her. As a character study, the brilliance of Hard Truths lies in the way that director and actor carefully peel back the layers of Pansy, showing her own internal torment, fuelled by chronic pain and apparent mental health issues.

The result is an unvarnished and powerful portrait of depression, not as character quirk or simple malaise, but as a destructive force that causes someone to self-implode and lash out at everyone around them. It’s in the scenes where Pansy clashes with her sister Chantelle (Michele Austin), who chooses to have a more upbeat outlook on life despite similar circumstances, that more sides of her character are painfully revealed.

Jean-Baptiste gives a ferocious performance, at once fierce but also brittle. Pansy’s modus operandi is to tear other people down, but it’s coming from a place of emptiness inside her. The fact that the character is kept watchable is a huge testament to her performance. The actress delivers explosive, at times darkly funny tirades captured in long takes by cinematographer Dick Pope. But the discomfort that we feel in watching her eventually gives way to a feeling of tragedy. It’s a remarkable piece of acting.

Austin is also excellent in their scenes together, while Webber and Barrett are able to say so much with what is left unsaid. The ambiguity of where the story ends up could be frustrating to some, but Leigh’s film reaches a logical end point. It’s a slice of life film, dropping in on these characters, and dropping out again. What hard truths are ultimately revealed throughout are up to the viewer to decide.

Film Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)

Hard Truths opens exclusively in theatres in limited release on January 24th, including at TIFF Lightbox in Toronto. It’s being distributed in Canada by Mongrel Media.