Having just seen it I feel I can weigh in now. I largely agree with you and I wonder at the characterisation of the movie by the other audience members as "pointless" - it most definitely has a point, that living with depression is hard work for all who are contact with it. What I think they mean by that is that it doesn't have *a redemption arc* - people with patience are generally prepared to go through a lot of heartache a la Manchester by the Sea if they feel at the end the hard work has been rewarded and there's a glimmer. In rejecting that, Leigh deliberately sets himself up against the drama-arc as conventionally established.
I tend to disagree about the contemplative scenes in her living room in the mid-section. I think they were the best bits and showed a great power of unhurried and restrained camerawork. Conversely, the scenes with Pansy's nieces at work and at a bar were by far the weakest, a completely unjustified set of scenes in the dramatic sense - these really were pointless, IMO.
Very happy that you're willing to review world cinema, AY!
My Letterboxd review of this one, if you're interested
I think the redemption arc is a great point. I think I worded it differently but I think Americans are especially conditioned to expect that. Then again, it's the traditional approach to screenwriting that Mike Leigh tends to flip on its head in all his films. I remember telling those people that this is just how his films are for the most part.
I think the contemplative scenes toward the third act grew a bit tiresome for me. And I kind of like getting a different perspective with the nieces to counteract the constant dread, but, indeed, they don't serve much of a narrative purpose.
As always, enjoy reading your thoughts. I should have a review for The Seed of the Sacred Fig soon so more foreign cinema is on the horizon.
Having just seen it I feel I can weigh in now. I largely agree with you and I wonder at the characterisation of the movie by the other audience members as "pointless" - it most definitely has a point, that living with depression is hard work for all who are contact with it. What I think they mean by that is that it doesn't have *a redemption arc* - people with patience are generally prepared to go through a lot of heartache a la Manchester by the Sea if they feel at the end the hard work has been rewarded and there's a glimmer. In rejecting that, Leigh deliberately sets himself up against the drama-arc as conventionally established.
I tend to disagree about the contemplative scenes in her living room in the mid-section. I think they were the best bits and showed a great power of unhurried and restrained camerawork. Conversely, the scenes with Pansy's nieces at work and at a bar were by far the weakest, a completely unjustified set of scenes in the dramatic sense - these really were pointless, IMO.
Very happy that you're willing to review world cinema, AY!
My Letterboxd review of this one, if you're interested
https://letterboxd.com/hootsmaguire/film/hard-truths-2024/
I think the redemption arc is a great point. I think I worded it differently but I think Americans are especially conditioned to expect that. Then again, it's the traditional approach to screenwriting that Mike Leigh tends to flip on its head in all his films. I remember telling those people that this is just how his films are for the most part.
I think the contemplative scenes toward the third act grew a bit tiresome for me. And I kind of like getting a different perspective with the nieces to counteract the constant dread, but, indeed, they don't serve much of a narrative purpose.
As always, enjoy reading your thoughts. I should have a review for The Seed of the Sacred Fig soon so more foreign cinema is on the horizon.
Very complete analysis!
Thanks Soph!