Louis C.K.: Perdón (o no)

Somehow this film was meant to be damning. Someone as so "prominent" in the comedy field, arts and film seemed to rub off people the wrong way?

Like that pun? If not you would like this film. Perhaps.

I don't get his damnation. I get it a perverted. I get that he's got a weird sex fetish.

Don't like that but I like his comedy.

I think this film is trying too hard to get us thinking he is not worthy of his art. The people answer their own questions. But they don't answer their statement. NY Times is a rag.

I do see why people are upset. Why they wouldn't like him BECAUSE of this. There are other people who don't like his looks. Don't like his comedy. Just don't like him and this is why they don't.

It's fine. But it's not mandatory to dislike him BECAUSE of his perversion. That's up to you and the women who "were paralysed" when he started (how the hell does he start unless you don't say anything?).

Comedy ain't everything and neither is this film. It's ok for voicing the women's objection to his perversion - why not? He deserves that. But that's it as far as I'm concerned.

Greetings again from the darkness. In the twisted nature of many humans, there is a need for heroes and a corresponding sense of satisfaction as those heroes are knocked from their pedestal of idolization. Louis C. K. may not have been a hero, but as a comedy genius, he had reached the pinnacle of his profession while building a massive fan base. It may seem that five brave women knocked him from the proverbial pedestal, but the truth is ... his own arrogance and behavior did so.

The purpose of this documentary from co-directors Cara Mones and Caroline Shu is not to re-hash the sordid details of Louis's actions, but rather to ask ... what now? Fellow comedian Michael Ian Black eloquently presents his considered thoughts on this, as do others who were more directly involved. The film draws heavily from the November 2017 New York Times article written by Melena Ryzik, Cara Buckley, and Jodi Kantor, each of whom share their view here. There are also interviews with others, including Jen Kirkman and Megan Koester. I believe Abby Schachner is the only one of the original four who were named to appear in the film, however it seems quite clear that Louis C. K.'s tendencies were as well-known throughout the industry as those of Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby. And yes, his defenders make the argument that his actions were nowhere near the level of those two figures of the #MeToo movement.

As has been pointed out many times in these cases, the sexual predator aspect is not the only issue. The abuse of power is every bit as crucial. The film is divided into seven "parts": Louis, Jen, Open Secret, These Stories are True, Abby, Comeback, and Cancelled. In contrast to Weinstein and Cosby and so many others, when publicly confronted with the accusations, Louis C. K. stated, "These stories are true." Much of the fallout was from his fans who went after the accusers on social media. Louis C. K. disappeared from public life for about 9 months before beginning his comeback ... using his history as fodder for joke-telling.

Louis C. K. being 'cancelled' ended when he won a Grammy for his comedy album. He hasn't yet been welcomed back to mainstream Television or Film, but his stand-up tours remain popular. The film serves to ignite dialogue and debate on a tough topic, and we find ourselves admiring those who stepped up to shine the light. Although it cost her a career, respect goes to Megan Koester who states, "I don't want to work with those who blindly ignore morality." It's a statement on which too few of us seem to stand with her. We must each answer for ourselves ... What now?

In theaters beginning July 12, 2024.

I have been a huge Louis CK fan for several years. He's the only comic that never fails to make me laugh. When I first heard that Louie was "cancelled" back in 2017, I was of the opinion that #MeToo went way too far. I continued to watch his specials & movies, and I hoped that this "awkward mishap" would be forgotten.

I'm still inclined to agree with that sentiment. Yet now that I hear the testimonies of the women, his special "Sorry" seems so messed up. I agree that he 100% should have used that special to say something truthful & meaningful. Yet instead, Louie just briefly joked about it, grossly mischaracterized what actually happened (assuming the women never consented), and then he moved on to make millions.

I only give 7/10 because, while the documentary was incredibly thought provoking, it doesn't seem to put Louie on the hook to give an actual apology. I would have given this documentary 10 stars if it pleaded Louie to do precisely that. What Louie did can & should be forgiven, in my opinion. I think many of the victims could forgive him too if he properly apologized. But Louie may never actually apologize if people continue to relentlessly attack him.

Don't get me wrong; I feel sorry for all the women that were also attacked for trying to talk about Louie's behavior. The women got it SO much worse, and I'm glad that the documentary gives recognition to that. This documentary seemed like it was just about to bridge the gap; to allow a proper discussion on this polarizing issue. But sadly, it seemed to end on a persecution campaign instead... And yet, I suppose that's Louie's fault because he refused to participate in this documentary... and yet I understand why he may be hesitant to do so because if he says the wrong thing, it could forever end the career that he has left.

The most frustrating thing of all of this is that I KNOW Louie is genius enough to find a way to talk about these difficult issues AND make us cry laughing while doing it. I hope that Louie watched this documentary and doesn't take it the wrong way. I believe that if he knew how the women feel, that he can find a way to properly make amends while making us cry laughing about it. If nothing else, this documentary showed me what a lousy job Louie did on making amends. Louie could be a legend if he would use his craft to navigate this cultural divide instead of hiding behind his jokes & trying to forget it happened. I was glad that he was back, but he can do better than his lousy special. Now, I don't know what to think of Louie if he won't use his comedic genius to make properly make amends.

Sorry, Not Sorry is excellent and incredibly frustrating. After detailing how Louis CK is a straight up sex pest at best and a sexual predator at worst, it ends with a bunch of people justifying how it's okay to force women to engage in your sexual activities. None of those women said, "yes". None of those women gave consent. The documentary hammers home the reality that Louis CK used his status to force women to watch him masturbate on a regular basis, yet there are so many people justifying his behavior in this documentary. It's frustrating to see anyone willing to welcome a sexual predator back into the warm arms of fame.

This is a very funny documentary, even though unintentionally.

We all knew before even showing this, that this is picture is paid to via a platinum victim card, with a bunch of attention seekers seeking attention, but what surprised me is the fact that when they were showing clips of Louis CK, it was like a nice montage of Louis CK compilations, and Dave Chappelle bits were he was making fun of them was even funnier, and the funniest thing was when they were showing their face instantly after that, priceless.

Unfortunately, this doesn't last long, they come back to nag on your head, that's why I can't give them the full points.