Mike Leigh Knows Someone Like Pansy in Real Life, Too
Briefly

Mike Leigh, an esteemed director known for films like Secrets and Lies, discusses his latest work, Hard Truths, during pre-Oscar promotions in Manhattan. Despite the film's strong performances and screenplay, accolades for which he and co-star Marianne Jean-Baptiste have been nominated, Leigh acknowledges its struggle for Oscar contention as it is a small-scale family drama. The film explores deep emotional layers, particularly highlighted in a poignant cemetery scene. Leigh's own health challenges, dealing with myositis, add context to his reflections on life and filmmaking.
This is mainly the story of a family. It's a small film that lacks the bravura displays of scope, expense, and storytelling pyrotechnics that often mark a film as Oscar-able.
I have to lean on this stick and ask people to help me stand up. But I can get around all right.
Leigh and Jean-Baptiste have been nominated for many awards for Hard Truths and won the New York Film Critics Circle's prizes for Best Actress and Best Screenplay.
Pansy breaks down in a cemetery visiting their mother's grave; it reflects the emotional weight and complexity of family dynamics portrayed in Hard Truths.
Read at Vulture
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