Desolée, bébé

I am not a great fan of plot spilling in reviews, so I will try to approach this film round and round. It has so much more; other than the plot itself and one of this movie's main occurrences revolves around the fact that there is a word and a situation that no one wants to describe or call by name.

First of all, I have just adored the fact that this movie is playing with his timeline. I've like it since I first encountered it at Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" and from that day, I have a soft spot for those kind of movies, that makes us assemble the plot and it's details, according to stages from different times.

Second - this movie has some fine small scenes and conversations that doesn't feel related to the plot, but together those situations, scenes and sequences make this movie to be what it is. Small encounters and conversations that makes this movie to be so unique - sad, funny and dramatic - exactly like its main character.

It is directed and scripted by the main character and actress (Eva Victor), that I've personally never heard or watched in other movies. The other actors and actresses, that hovers above and aside are so good and contributes to shape and mold her character's...character and nature.

The puzzle that the viewer needs to assemble is composed out of several chapters, that have hinted headlines. The directing and screenwriting of several situations is just brilliant. Leaves you wonder about a situation that you can guess what it is according to details that were put on the sides of the way to the scene.

And like in each one of "Harry Potter" books and films - there is one word in this movie that is not allowed to tell or say. It can be vaguely described or hinted, but if someone will spill it out, it will make the main character confront with her emotions and feelings.

Thus, and after all being said, we understand that our protagonist should find other ways to deal with what she's been through. Sometimes it is through laughter or sarcasm and sometimes...through speaking with characters that cannot judge or understand.

Anyway...this movie has a lot of charm in it. Great acting skills and surprisingly also great writing and directing skills by a young, promising young woman, which demonstrates control over each and every one of the described skills. It deserves 7.5 stars, from my side.

This is another film where I have a ton to say, but don't want my original thoughts getting lost in a giant pile of word vomit while I try and put the thoughts to the page.

Very clearly: I am not a woman, and have not gone through the specific type of trauma that takes place in this film. That said, I am a human being and have experienced a multitude of what many would consider to be out of the norm excessive traumas in my life, from an ex partner committing suicide to losing a brother to an accidental fentanyl overdose.

Trauma is something I believe until recently in this country, was an issue that was somewhat a shoved aside, something that wasn't talked about, something that in my parents day (I'm 43), would even be something to be embarrassed about. I'm sure all our Gen X parents were told to 'Man up' at some point in their lives.

Having gone through these very personal traumatic situations in my life has had a tremendous effect on who I am as a person, and how I deal with the outside world, and how I am able to control my own inner thoughts and emotions.

This is an incredible directorial debut from Eva Victor, who like many other found during 2020 while we were all stuck at our homes, and who in a very dark sarcastic way was able to breath some life and laughter into our minds during that psychotic year (also the year my brother passed).

With this film Eva paints around an act of force so intense and so heavy, without ever actually naming the act, but what she brilliantly shows you as a viewer is what becomes of someone who has experienced trauma throughout the following years, whether it be through moments of pure fear, moments of unwilling panic, moments of using laughter to continue to grieve, and moments of pure unadulterated pain.

I've been through these moments in my life, and I am thankful this film exists, as if you have not experienced heavy trauma in your life, this helps paint the portrait of what it's like for those of us who have.

I love the control of tone throughout and how it remains somber while allowing moments of breaths of fresh air through sarcastic comedy to allow your brain to take a breather.

The film executes a non-linear path that bookends itself with a monologue that I will definitely be reading over again and going back to in moments of solitude where I need to remember that even though trauma exists in my life, there are ways to pass through to get to the light at the end of the tunnel.

I'm looking forward to more from Eva Victor. Fantastic, touching work here.

Sorry, Baby was a movie I hadn't heard about or read any reviews. So, I went in not knowing what to expect.

Agnes (Eva Victor) is a full professor (!) in her 20's (!!!) at some unidentified small college that seems to be in northern Massachusetts by the seashore. Agnes is kind of quirky, a little off at times and obviously a loner. Her one good friend, Lydie (Naomi Ackie), has left the house they shared - platonically - and moved on to a career and a relationship in NYC. Lydie then comes for a visit and they are both very chill and at ease with one another in a nice way. Lydie then reveals that she is pregnant. The movie then bounces back to when they and some friends were working on their dissertations three or so years a ago, then to the more immediate term of the past year or so and then jumps ahead to the not too distant future when Lydie has had her child.

All through the focus is on Agnes and a trauma she experienced (no spoiler) and how she is coping and how mostly Lydie helped her. The mood bounces from stress, to being poignant and the to being funny - but none of it laugh out loud funny. It's a quirky portrait of single childless cat lady (yes, there is a cat featured pretty significantly) without really embracing that concept for self-deprecation or for self-affirmation. The movie meanders, which is nice for a change, yet doesn't really make any kind of impact one way or another. Sorry, Baby is just there.

Sorry, Baby won't be everyone's cup of tea - and I would recommend waiting for it to come out on streaming.

Eva Victor's story highlights Agnes's journey post a traumatic experience as life moves on. Agnes tries to move on but the trauma doesn't let her while she really is unable to take legal course of action. The story focuses on her emotional journey as she acknowledges the bad thing that happened to her and tries hard to live with it. The world is such, thet bad things just happen and it is never easy being a woman in the said world.

This is the kind of film that rendered me speechless. It started off casually with an overdose of the F words which helped showcase Agnes's bond with Lydie. But the 5 minute scene of her confiding to Lydie over what really happened, made me sit up. What followed next was simply terrific piece of writing and execution. Eva brought Agnes's character alive and her way of dealing with what happened was simply holding a mirror to us, the viewers. This is not the film about Agnes fighting for justice but a film about her fight to survive, move on and worse, accept the bad thing. The way she pushes herself to learn to live with it, was indeed a tough watch.

What makes the screenplay terrific is how Eva Victor tries to insert humor into the narrative. I felt sad with Agnes while having a chuckle now and then despite the grim moments. She really struggles to get on with her life and hyperventilates, which is a normal thing that one expects from her. Then the narrative shifts to showcasing that the bad thing just happens and Agnes has to live with it, leaving us the audience to accept the very thing as normal. It's infuriating to feel the helplessness of the character but also hold onto the hope of her pulling through. The rest of us are like Pete, while the countless Agnes' are made to move on with their lives and apologizing for the world we have created.

Sorry, baby indeed. Such is the lot of women.

This movie is a little polarizing here, I read glowing reviews and "not that impressed" reviews. Decided to trust some and try it out. I can say now that I do understand both sides actually. It is messy. The whole thing is messy because the "thing" can only be messy so each woman is probably her own special mess in the case of the "thing".

So it's disjointed, illogical and all sorts of things, as it should. The title chapters are hilarious but they make sense. I don't really like Agnes, but I don't have to for this. I don't understand her but I am glad that I don't. The irony of those college ladies stating they understand her. The almost outraged entitlement of that doctor when confronted with unexpected answers and reactions. And the juror selection scene.

What I liked best about this movie was the meeting with the middle-aged man in the parking lot. That was the point where this movie broke me and I started sobbing uncontrollably. Something about his kindness, about his being a decent human being. Sad in a way that that would move me to such an extent. Also Agnes and the baby at the end, but maybe that man still...