Throughout the Sundance Film festival, one of the most popular and acclaimed reunion of new and innovative movies of the year, actress now turned director Eva Victor won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, for her debut “Sorry, Baby” where she also stars as the protagonist Agnes. Based on a personal story, Victor steps on this new path shows not only beautiful screenwriting, but an impeccable balance in devastation and heart-warming moments.
We see a soon-to-be full-time professor Agnes receiving a visit from her dear friend Lydie who she spent postgraduate time with at the same university, talking about their different paths and choices they made after graduation. From the few starting minutes, we can feel a strong emotion of being left behind, or even worse as if life just passes through you as everyone continues their lives, embodied by Agnes staying in the same old town for multiple years.
The film takes us into the memories of Agnes in her graduate program, writing her thesis and the multiple struggles that it brought. It’s a lovely moment, seeing her and Lydie become so close together, which makes the remainder of the movie more heartbreaking. Agnes gets sexually assaulted by one of the professors in the university and leaves us with an extremely strong change of direction and an incredible interpretation from Victor of such a personal and crude moment, with long shots of her driving back from this horrible situation, and the even more emotional talk with Lydie about everything that happened.
The story emphasizes the harsh conversations and tone that can happen to victims when they decide to step forward, such as a rage-inducing scene with doctors and lawyers where the normalization of situations like these can happen to “professionals” in the field. The system is completely broken at times, with many victims not receiving the help needed or being interrogated through the paperwork, which not only slows the process of reporting, but also strongly worsen the mindset of the victim. We see Agnes hitting rock bottom, walking aimlessly and with a constant reminder through multiple years about the situation, reflecting much more on the path some victims may face, where the experience leaves long-lasting consequences.
Devastation and a spiral of hopelessness is what most people expect from a film like this, but the beautiful thing about it is the glimpses of kindness from both strangers and friends that Agnes is able to experience, with a highlight being an old man helping her get over a panic attack by gifting her a sandwich and having a simple conversation. This is what makes a huge difference in film and in the world, showing the importance of what being kind to others can do. Being “human” and gestures of acceptance can change the whole perspective of someone.
Touching a subject like the one mentioned beforehand can be tough, especially as it is such a personal experience, and Victor makes sure to make it her own. The dialogue makes everyone feel like real human beings, with their own personalities and quirks, which is an amazing addition to such a strong movie about such a devastating moment. Victor lets the audience enjoy sarcasm and quick-wittedness, showing that victims are not always the same in their response to their experiences. That’s what makes this such a distinctive take, and why it not only got a positive audience and critical response, but also a push for Victor to continue embarking on more pictures and becoming a promising new voice in the film-making industry .
“Sorry, Baby” is now available on streaming services, and I recommend it to anyone reading.
