Bob Trevino Likes It

Ah, look at all the lonely people.

As I watched the new film, Bob Trevino Likes It, I was reminded of that Beatles classic about loneliness and depression. Almost every character in the film is experiencing some form of sadness. Yet, it's not a depressing film because the characters are particularly likeable, even at their lowest points. You connect with them on a personal level. You want them to be happy.

The film is based on the life of Writer/Director/Producer Tracie Laymon and the friendship she accidentally strikes up with a stranger on the internet. Yes, the idea sounds creepy, but the relationship Lily Trevino has with her actual father is far more disturbing. Turning in a beautiful, hopeful performance, actress Barbie Ferreira is always reminded that she's not the child her father wanted. Robert Trevino (French Stewart) seems to have little use for her. He's far more interested in her savings account to pay for his bills and uses her to butter up his stream of online hookups.

Dragging her along to dinners and events, he tells her to make him look good. Robert wants a relationship because he's 'tired of paying to watch women eat'. Yes, he's a very unlikeable person who doesn't realize how awful he sounds. Even when he's the one chintzing out at mealtime, forgetting his wallet, suggesting his dinner dates order something cheaper. He doesn't understand what he's doing wrong and Lily doesn't have the heart to tell him how bad he makes himself look. Instead, she takes the blame for all his dating failures.

When Robert angrily cuts her out of his life for a mishap at a dinner date, Lily still attempts to reconcile with him, but is faced with his indifference. A few weeks later, she again decides to try to reach him, this time through social media. She friends a 'Bob Trevino' on Facebook. However, it's the wrong Bob Trevino - it's not her dad, Robert.

This Bob Trevino (John Leguizamo) is a kind, hardworking man, married to Jeanie (Rachel Bay Jones), the scrapbooking Queen of the state. Though they live in the same home, it's apparent that they have difficulty communicating with each other. There's a pervasive sadness in the home. Jeanie tries to get him to socialize with friends, he doesn't see the use in it. Then, out of the blue, Bob sees a notification on his Facebook page that someone wants to friend him, has 'liked' one of his rare posts. He accepts, begins 'liking' Lily's posts, and eventually he and Lily strike up a social media friendship.

At Lily's suggestion, they eventually meet and pursue the friendship, in real life. Though they are both emotionally blunted, they find a warm companionship with each other. There are no expectations. They have no past trauma with each other to dwell on, little to forgive and forget.

There's nothing creepy about it. Just two lonely people, filling in the holes that life has hollowed out in their souls. Lily enjoys taking care of people and Bob allows her to get close to him. And then, Bob drops out of sight. She feels ghosted and goes searching for an explanation.

Many times, social media divides and isolates; in the case of Bob Trevino Likes It, social media allows two lonely strangers a means to connect, if only for a brief time.

The little 2024 film that could, earning a raft of audience and critical praise as well as a large collection of festival awards at some of the industries premiere events, one suspects that the life of Tracie Laymon's debut feature Bob Trevino Likes It is only just beginning as more audiences discover this based on a true story tale for themselves.

Based on Laymon's own personal experiences after meeting with an online contact while searching for a connection with her real life father, Trevino clearly comes from heartfelt place and while it walks the same path of many similar low-budget character driven films of the past, it's hard not to be moved and inspired by this small but effective offering that is worked brilliantly by its two leads.

Finally getting a chance to test herself in the feature film landscape after making her mark in hit HBO series Euphoria, a lot of Trevino's success rests on the shoulders of Barbie Ferreira and she is more than up for the task.

A tricky role for any performer to deliver on, with Lily being a complex and flawed iteration of Laymon's own-self, Ferreira does a fantastic job of keeping Lily on the right side of the ledger while at the same time creating a memorable chemistry with her off-sider John Leguizamo who is as good as his been in years as the softly spoken and kind-hearted Bob, reminding us all that when he is given the right material and he himself invests, he's one of Hollywood's most reliable character actors.

With her two leads on fine form there's any easy-going nature and feel to Trevino yet while viewers may feel as though they have everything pegged as the early stages march on, Laymon has some tricks up her sleeve with where Trevino goes and how it goes there, creating an emotionally resonate and powerful watching experience that is sure to surprise many unsuspecting viewers unaware of what Trevino has too say about life, love, friendship and finding ones way in this big scary world.

In a day and age where small independent films like Trevino feel like a dying breed as they are forced into fighting for space in cinemas or standing out in crowded streaming marketplaces, Laymon's relatable and humanly focussed dramedy isn't a revelatory experience but its a timely reminder of the power of films of this shape and size.

Final Say -

Sure to discover a wide-reaching and passionate fanbase as a larger audience accesses the film on home media, Bob Trevino Likes It is a heartfelt and heart-warming little tale that features two fine central performances anchoring proceedings.

3 1/2 possessed toilets out of 5.

"Bob Trevino Likes It" surprised me. I was drawn to it because I like John Leguizamo's work. He's really stellar as a working class man with manifold layers; a man isolated by grief, work, and his own inhibitions. Barbie Ferreira (Euphoria) is exceptional as Lily, a lost and lonely soul, aching for connection, lacking in confidence. The depth of compassion that is forged between these two characters draws the viewer in from the beginning. Its development ensures the viewer will want to see how and if their bond will continue.

This film has an excellent cast, a wonderfully original screenplay, and isbeautifully acted. It's emotional without being sentimental. The main characters have serendipitous chemistry. The supporting cast are equally strong and important to plot development and thematic elements. It's moving, quirky, funny, and clever.

People are rarely what the appear to be from the outside & "Bob Trevino Likes It" reveals this theme, among others, with aplomb. Recommend!

Bob Trevino Likes It deservedly won Best Narrative at SXSW, had full houses going on five showings. This film was one of the most life affirming I've seen in a while what with honest performances, a nuanced script that balanced laughs with sobbing (yep, the good kind). Diretor Laymon brings us a story steeped in the modern world of social media yet at the same time providing the audience the unrelenting power of human connection. Gloriously graceful and smart, Bob Trevino Likes It is a refreshing character study that rewards the audience by eschewing cheap gags and crass dialogue in service of masterful storytelling. A trumph!!!

I have been teaching film for almost 30 years, and this is one of the best films I have ever seen. Filmmaker Tracie Laymon creates a truly heartfelt story and film with characters and emotions that are real and deeply felt by the viewer. She also sprinkles in moments of delightful comedy to keep the film real and varied, after all, life has sad moments and funny moments. She is also helped by a wonderful cast (especially Barbie Ferreira and John Leguizamo) who, like their director/screenwriter, are telling this story from their hearts and have wonderful chemistry on screen. I also appreciated how Tracie didn't fall into typical movie tropes that you might see in a film of this type (sorry, no spoiler alerts!). This is also a reason I love Indie films so much, they are simple, personal stories that tug at our hearts rather than our visual senses like so many blockbuster movies do today. Once released and distributed, I will absolutely add this film to my curriculum. It is a perfect example of filmmaking and storytelling at its best, and I can't wait to see it again and share it with my students! Absolutely beautiful film!!