MIFF 2055: Sorry, Baby

Melbourne International Film Festival 2025 is ongoing and I went to watch my third session (of 12!)

This post my short review of the (amazing) film: “Sorry, Baby”

For context: I am a photographer/youtuber that wants to up my cinematography and storytelling, that’s why I’m watching 12 sessions at the film festival PLUS reviewing them here on my blog!

This review will include very light spoilers. All images courtesy of miff.com.au

Structure

The movie had a time-jump structure where the audience is given a block of story in non-chronological way. When movies do this, I feel like there’s a risk of it being too hard to follow. That only happens when it’s done well. Thankfully, in my opinion, “Sorry, Baby” did it very well. The opening story block establishes the relationship between Agnes and Liddy. It also reveals a story point that relates to the film title (hint: it involves a baby). It sets a strong sense of “wanting to know”, what happens next? what happened in the past? how is a baby involved in all this?

As the story progressed, you can just feel that the structure is integral to how it’s delivered. I wonder if they came up with the loose structure together with the story or they thought of the general story first and then decided that the time-jump structure works well with it. Regardless of how they did it, it felt like that this THE way to tell the (amazing) story.

Sense of time was also sometimes made a bit wonky in the middle of a story block. There was a short montage of a house going from day time to night time, where an important story point happened. So it is technically off-screen, but also kinda on-screen. When you watch it, you’ll recognise it. It stood out to me as a unique way of storytelling.

Narrative

The narrative was superb. I just love the characters! Agnes is awkward, candid, straightforward, but at the same time complex. The relationship between her and Liddy was told really well, the care that they have for each other is so great. Due to the character’s personality, the humour in the film comes naturally. There weren’t really a character that is the designated comic-relief — well you can argue that the neighbour Gavin is kind of a comic-relief, but I don’t think so. The humour in the story is used kind of in a “dark humour” way, but again, it felt a bit different to that. It’s funny in a way that “yeah! Agnes’ candidness is so justified here, this is a very weird and absurd situation”

The ending tied the whole film neatly in a bow. I didn’t actually realise that the ending scene was the ending, but once I realised, it all makes sense. So it wasn’t like “booo, that's it!?” it was more like “oh dang, that was it? That’s the ending? Ahh, I get it”

Cinematography

I already mentioned this, but the short montage of a front of a house going from day to night was very cool. The elements in the shot were made to signify passage of time but also signified that it wasn’t too much time.

I quite liked the different ways they shot Agnes and Liddy talking. There was one at a field of grass where they did the classic 3-angle shot — one from the front, one from the perspective of person A, one from the perspective of person B. But then there was another shot (at a different part of the story) where they were near the beach and it was one take — only shot from the front. Perhaps that is not that unusual, however I only recently try to imagine the way scenes were shot. Makes it more fun to watch films! Although maybe I should let go of that a little bit to focus on just watching haha.

Who would I recommend it to?

People that like movies with a great message in the end. It’s depressing and uplifting at the same time. I’m certain that you’d feel some emotions one way or another, and even carry the feeling afterwards. The humour is so funny, up my wheelhouse, it’s kind of like The Office humour where ordinary people are put into absurd situations (recently saw The Office being described that way, it made lots of sense!). I’m a huge “The Office” fan, and so are many people, and I believe those people would like “Sorry, Baby” as well.

10/10, would watch again!