In 2017, Melena Ryzik, Cara Buckley, and Jodi Cantor reported for the front page of the New York Times, “Louis C.K. is Accused by 5 Women of Sexual Misconduct”. The next day, in the same newspaper, Louis C.K. published a simple response, “These Stories are True.” In his response, Louis delineates what he did wrong without ever actually apologizing for the action to the five women who came forward with the accusations of sexual misconduct. It’s important to note, gentle reader, that misconduct is not assault. Rather, it’s being inconceivably gross in the presence of your victim. Certainly, as the reviewer of the film Sorry/Not Sorry, I absolutely would not have consented to see anyone’s naked member. I would not want to be exposed to anyone else’s sexual members without consent. This is, without doubt, a gross thing to do.
Sorry/Not Sorry, the latest documentary from directing team Cara Mones and Caroline Suh, seeks to bring forth the stories of five women who are brave enough to discuss the creepy perversions they experienced in the presence of comedian Louis C.K. What is noteworthy before we delve any further into this review, is the first pair of women who accused Louis C.K. are not involved in this documentary. Dana Min Goodman and Julia Wolov do not provide their stories. Instead, we learn of the ancillary accusations from Jen Kirkman, Abby Schachner, and Megan Koestner. Ryzik, Buckley, and Cantor also provide interviews for this documentary, as do people who’ve worked with Mr. C.K., like Michael Ian Black and Michael Schur – he who show ran Parks and Recreation. Throughout the lensed interviews, there is a wistful unease that permeates the rooms these people occupy. It’s as if the situation is not simply perverse or depraved. It’s just weird.
“…Louis delineates what he did wrong without ever actually apologizing for the action…”
Schachner’s tale is the standout interview in Sorry/Not Sorry. She had a phone call with Louis C.K., wherein the comedian chose to m********e while conversing with her. While she has been ridiculed by Dave Chappelle as possessing a ‘brittle spirit’ in his special *Sticks and Stones* for Netflix, she has chosen to rise above the jokes and continue her career writing and performing stand-up. Jen Kirkman did not experience masturbation, and that was due to her rising sense of impending danger. Regardless, she has also created a stand-up routine concerning Louis C.K.’s unacceptable proposition.
The archival footage of Louis C.K. in stand-up routines and interviews is all great material. It causes a sense of conflict in the viewer; is it okay to watch and laugh at this stuff? C.K. remains hysterically funny to this day. While he was canceled for these incidents, C.K. continues to prosper from a growing audience of people who simply do not care what he did. This indifference, well explored in the film, really calls into question the efficacy of the ‘Me Too’ movement. If C.K. can continue to have a successful career after a 2-year forced hiatus, perhaps there’s a limit to how long you can cancel a person.
Ultimately, Sorry/Not Sorry does not provide any pat answers. There’s no clear thing to do. There was never an actual crime committed; otherwise, someone would have thrown the book at Louis C.K. All we know is that he lost 35 million dollars and two years of his professional life. This film poignantly captures the hurt feelings of the women subjected to this man’s perversion. It is a sobering experience. Seek it out if you’re intrigued.
"…a sobering experience"
