‘Bob Trevino Likes It’: SXSW Review

Dir/scr: Tracie Laymon. US. 2024. 102mins

An sudden on-line friendship results in a journey of self-discovery in Tracie Laymon’s characteristic debut. That includes robust performances from actress/mannequin Barbie Ferreira (Nope, TV’s Euphoria) and John Leguizamo as lonely folks making a connection, together with assured steering from Laymon (who has beforehand directed award-wining shorts like Combined Indicators and Ghosted), this emotional drama already had a lot to advocate it earlier than its SXSW Narrative Function Competitors Grand Jury and Viewers Award wins. Festivals and distributors ought to definitely take discover. 

 The platonic chemistry between Ferreira and Leguizamo feels pure

Based mostly on Laymon’s real-life experiences of connecting with a stranger on Fb whereas trying to find her personal estranged father, Bob Trevino Likes It has an authenticity which grounds a doubtlessly outlandish narrative. That’s additionally helped by a vivid efficiency from Ferreira as Lily Trevino, a 25-year-old lady from northern Kentucky who works as a live-in carer to wheelchair consumer Daphne (Lauren ’Lolo’ Spencer,) and has a tough relationship together with her narcissistic father, Bob (French Stewart). An eloquent opening sequence units the tone of Lily’s life; she finds out her boyfriend has been dishonest when he sends her a textual content meant for one more lady (‘No prob!’ she replies as she weeps into her pillow), then politely endures an excruciating lunch with Bob, who endlessly talks about his on-line relationship earlier than leaving her to select up the invoice. 

But Laymon’s screenplay makes it apparent that whereas Lily could also be downtrodden, she can be a fighter — even when she doesn’t but realise it. In a darkly humorous montage in her therapist’s workplace, Lily explains that her drug-addicted mom left when she was 4 after which matter-of-factly provides quite a few examples of her father’s ill-treatment, so numb to his behaviour that she can’t recognise it as emotional abuse. Each Ferreira and the movie deal with this flippantly, however we perceive why Lily finds it tough to recognise her true worth, and the power it should take to maintain placing one foot in entrance of the opposite.

Throughout these early scenes, scored with a melancholy tinge by Jacques Brautbar and rendered in a muted palette, Lily pastes on a smile like armour and retains combating to take care of a relationship together with her dad — he’s, in spite of everything, the one household she has, even when he’s always reminding her how she has ruined his life. But Laymon retains issues transferring, and we don’t have to attend too lengthy to get to the movie’s turning level which comes when Lily’s dad disowns her after she unintentionally ruins certainly one of his many romantic prospects. Desperately trying to find him on Fb, she as an alternative finds one other Bob Trevino. On a whim, she messages him.

An hour away in Southern Indiana, Bob (an enthralling, measured Leguizamo) is a childless 50-something building supervisor whose life with spouse Jeanie (Rachel Bay Jones) has shrunk to minuscule proportions for causes that aren’t instantly clear. He works an excessive amount of, whereas Jeanie loses herself in obsessive scrapbooking. Initially hesitant, Bob responds to Lily’s message and shortly they’re speaking usually. Right here, too, Laymon captures the sense of validation that may come from the ping of a like on a social media submit; though for Lily, when ‘Bob Trevino’ likes her posts of previous childhood images and different household reminiscences, it strikes a far deeper chord.

To keep away from any discomfort, Laymon is fast to outline the boundaries of this burgeoning relationship. Bob clearly loves and is respectful of his spouse — he’s sincere together with her about his friendship with Lily — and Lily is just not searching for something aside from somebody she will be able to depend on. If their connection appears to come back very simply, any dramatic comfort may be forgiven because the platonic chemistry between Ferreira and Leguizamo feels pure, empathetic and real. And as they each start to let down their guards, it’s a pleasure to observe them; a lot so, in actual fact, that it doesn’t actually matter that the characters of their orbit are far much less vividly sketched.

As the color palette warms, the rating grows extra optimistic and each Lily and Bob start to search out their particular person voices, Bob Trevino Likes It resonates as a celebration of friendship, and the small acts of on a regular basis kindness which have their very own redemptive energy.