It shouldn't be difficult for "Hard Truths" to get Oscar nominations, but that doesn't mean it won't.
HARD TRUTHS – Official Trailer – Directed by Mike Leigh and starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste
British actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste delivers an emotionally charged performance in Mike Leigh’s powerful drama. She portrays a woman on the brink of mental collapse, navigating her life with an explosive mix of vulnerability and rage. Whether she’s dealing with a furniture store clerk, her sister, or her husband and child, Jean-Baptiste dominates the screen for nearly every one of the film’s 97 minutes, taking audiences on a turbulent emotional ride. But that can be a lot for filmgoers to process. Hopefully the harrowing nature of the performance won’t deter voters from nominating her for Best Leading Actress at this year’s Academy Awards.
For that to happen, Bleecker Street, the film’s distributor, will need strong word of mouth to keep the Jean-Baptiste drama and “Hard Truths” in the awards. It shouldn’t be too hard. Jean-Baptiste delivers her best work since Leigh’s 1996 masterpiece “Secrets & Lies,” which earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress (one that Leigh still thinks she should have won).
Read: You can see all Academy Award predictions in all 23 categories on one page on the Variety Awards Circuit: Oscars
