‘Sorry, Baby’: Sundance Review

Dir/scr: Eva Victor. US. 2024. 103mins 

“One thing fairly dangerous occurred to me,” admits the principle character of Sorry, Child, a fragile comedy-drama that examines how a personal trauma haunts a younger girl lengthy after it occurred. Author-director Eva Victor’s excellent function debut jumbles its chronology, presenting fragments of various years within the lifetime of a twenty-something educational, the reminiscence of that horrible occasion revisiting her in waves. Delicately segueing from deadpan humour to delicate poignancy, Sorry, Child is guided by the filmmaker’s swish lead efficiency, which captures the guilt, anger and disappointment of a lady who as soon as seemingly had a brilliant future — till, immediately, every thing modified.

Guided by the filmmaker’s swish lead efficiency

Screening in Sundance’s US Dramatic Competitors, the movie ought to be a prize pickup for a specialty distributor, even when the subject material could be triggering to some viewers. On-line and social-media comedian Victor is a comparatively new face for moviegoers, so industrial prospects might not be strong. However robust opinions — to not point out the presence of Oscar winner Barry Jenkins as one among Sorry, Child’s producers — ought to assist drive discerning viewers to theatres. 

Instructed in 5 chapters, the movie truly begins with one among its later chronological installments. Small-town English trainer Agnes (Victor) is thrilled when her greatest pal Lydie (Naomi Ackie), who not too long ago moved to New York, arrives for a go to. Newly married with a child on the way in which, Lydie is worried as she recognises the telltale indicators of Agnes’ crippling anxiousness. Sternly, Lydie implores Agnes, “Don’t die,” though Agnes tries to chuckle off her pal’s worries. Agnes insists she gained’t kill herself — in spite of everything, she explains, she’s doing significantly better than she was a number of years in the past.

The subsequent chapter, a flashback to when Agnes and Lydie had been in graduate college, explains a lot of what was left intriguingly opaque within the earlier phase. The much less one is aware of going into Sorry, Child the higher, however we’ll uncover that the reason for Agnes’ future misery stems from a fateful encounter together with her admiring advisor Preston (Louis Cancelmi), who believes she’s a unprecedented author. Lydie, nevertheless, teases Agnes that the good-looking, divorced Preston is taken with extra than simply her thoughts.

Sorry, Child’s dry sense of humour initially conceals the ache Agnes carries all through many of the movie. Victor performs Agnes as somebody whose default manner is ironic or awkward, virtually as if she walks by way of life out of step with the world round her. However within the grad-school phase, we discover a barely completely different Agnes, one who continues to be insecure but in addition a bit extra outgoing. Then, after a run-in with Preston, which the writer-director handles with restraint, Agnes modifications, and the next chapters supply glimpses into how she has (or hasn’t) coped with the stunning incident. It’s an excellent efficiency stuffed with quietly humorous moments that give voice to how trauma isn’t one thing one merely ’will get over’ — certainly, the journey may be lengthy and unpredictable. Even Agnes’ hesitation to inform others about what occurred exhibits an perception into the complexity of such grief.

The movie by no means succumbs to mawkishness or treats Agnes as a woeful sufferer. Though Sorry, Child takes Agnes’ ache critically, Victor typically makes bitterly hilarious observations about society’s discomfort in exhibiting empathy towards ladies who’re coping with private struggling. (A go to to Agnes’ callous male physician is very biting.) If the filmmaker may often be faulted for jokes that don’t land — an excruciatingly annoying colleague (Kelly McCormack) is the image’s uncommon sitcom-y ingredient — the tonal management is in any other case spectacular.

Composer Lia Ouyang Rusli’s poignant piano rating accentuates the sense of Agnes as a brilliant however damaged soul, and the supporting performances are usually pretty. Lucas Hedges performs Agnes’ charming, equally awkward neighbour who turns into her rare intercourse associate, however Ackie deserves particular kudos as Lydie, the type of unwaveringly supportive pal any of us can be fortunate to have. It’s in her troubled silences as she observes Agnes that we perceive the depths of what has been taken from Agnes, regardless of her outwardly sardonic, quick-witted method.

Inevitably, many potential viewers will know going into Sorry, Child exactly what has occurred to Agnes. However there’s a lightness of contact right here that, if something, makes Agnes’ unsteady restoration all of the extra affecting. Victor understands how such a trauma can affect an individual, however gained’t let it outline Agnes. No marvel the movie is as alive, considerate and gently defiant as she is.