It’s rare to see an independent director write, direct, and star in their very first film. In “Sorry, Baby,” Eva Victor takes her viewers on a journey of healing and hope after a traumatic experience. “Sorry, Baby” introduces its viewers to the world of Agnes, a graduate student whose life devolves after her professor sexually assaults her during a meeting. In short, the story is simultaneously raw, hilarious, and tragic. If you’re anything like me, you also ran to Letterboxd to give it a five-star rating. I watched this film for the first time in my critical approaches to media course last month. Finally, I thought after the screening, a film about real people. These days, with the oversaturated market of million dollar franchises and blockbusters in production, it’s hard to find a “Juno”-esque film that feels like people were actually behind creating it. It’s overwhelmingly refreshing to see a part of yourself in a character, even if you don’t relate to their experiences as a whole.
Why is “Sorry, Baby” worth your time though? I can’t think of another film that has made me laugh before bringing me to the verge of tears minutes later. The film opens with the touchingly close friendship between Agnes and her best friend, Lydie. Their dialogue and flow sound like an actual conversation between friends instead of cheesy one-liners. Agnes isn’t a perfect character, either. She’s sarcastic, dry, awkward, and depressed, but that’s what makes the film feel more real. Throughout the entire story, there’s a quiet authenticity to how Victor approaches the telling of their character’s sexual assault. It’s not overt or brushed over. The emotion creeps into every shot like the way pain manifests in our daily lives. The most heartbreaking scene is a series of silent, long shots that leave you holding your breath in anticipation for the next scene. Victor doesn’t dramatize or intend to force the audience to feel anything specifically. Instead, it’s just there, the sadness just creeps onto you in the prolonged silence. As an aspiring writer-director myself, I could go on about how much Victor charmed me with this film. If you’re a fan of Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag,” “Killing Eve”), Eva Victor is definitely a director to look out for.
If there’s one thing I learned from “Sorry, Baby,” it’s that I have a special appreciation for films that tell real stories. Sometimes, we find comfort in the small things: kittens, baths, best friends, neighbors, sandwiches, babies. While I love high-budget sci-fi or action movies, it’s always nice to learn more about the world around me through stories like Victor’s.
