Two film critics, three movies, thirty seconds! Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as me and myself review three movies in less time than it takes to chew a stick of Doublemint gum! Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about twofold De Niros in “The Alto Knights,” the return of “Snow White” and the dramedy “Bob Trevino Likes It.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
SYNOPSIS: A family drama loosely based on the personal experiences of director Tracie Laymon, “Bob Trevino Likes It,” now playing in theatres, is the story of a lonely young woman who keeps track of her estranged father, Bob Trevino, on Facebook. As her relationship with her dad deteriorates, she finds another Bob Trevino online who becomes a father figure.
CAST: Barbie Ferreira, John Leguizamo, French Stewart, Rachel Bay Jones. Directed by Tracie Laymon.
REVIEW: A story of finding your logical family, “Bob Trevino Likes It” is a heartfelt look at age-old topics of loneliness, healing and personal growth processed through the modern medium of social media.
The tale of two Bobs, one Lily’s (Barbie Ferreira) selfish father (French Stewart), the other a compassionate contractor (John Leguizamo), begins with the quiet trauma of a daughter who feels cut adrift from her family. Lost and rejected by her bio-dad, who is more concerned with finding a new girlfriend than he is in Lily’s wellbeing, she accidentally finds a father figure on Facebook. Together they fill the gaps missing in each other’s lives.
A feelgood tearjerker, “Bob Trevino Likes It” could easily have slid into easy platitudes and sentimentality but director Tracie Laymon displays a light touch, even when dealing with difficult topics. Abuse and loss figure heavily in the storytelling, but so do empathy and optimism and that goes a long way toward to reinforce the movie’s themes of self-worth and healing.
None of it would matter if the central characters weren’t so compelling. Lily feigns a cheery disposition, but beneath the open smile is a deep chasm of sadness. Ferreira, best known as Kat Hernandez in the HBO series “Euphoria,” sets Lily on her healing journey in an authentic, earnest way that keeps the story from becoming a misery.
Leguizamo brings a quiet power to surrogate Bob. He’s broken, unfulfilled at work and at home, but determined to forge ahead.
Together, they complete one another, finding a logical, not biological father daughter relationship.
On the other end of the spectrum is French as Lily’s unpredictable, self-interested father. He is unbearable, and that is exactly his function to keep the story chugging forward.
“Bob Trevino Likes It” is a four-hankie weepie, but don’t worry, you’ll cry out of joy not sadness.
