Displaying items by tag: John Leguizamo

BOB TREVINO LIKES IT

US, 2024, 102 minutes, Colour.

Barbie Ferreira, John Leguizamo, French Stewart, Lauren ‘Lolo’ Spencer, Rachel Bay Jones.

Directed by Tracie Laymon.

Here is a drama with touches of comedy that many young adults might identify with, find entertaining as well as challenging. But, here is also a drama with touches of comedy that older audiences might identify with, memories, disappointments, hopes. And, while the audience will be smiling quite often, by the end, there will also be tears.

But, who is Bob Trevino? In fact, during the film, there will be two. The first is a rather embittered widower, living in aged care, continually trying to strike up relationships and ensure companionship and comfort for his future. Mention of the second Bob Trevino later. The first one has a daughter, Lily, an impressive performance by Barbie Ferreira, something of an awkward , young woman looking after a chair confined client, great difficulty in relating to her father, his emotional verbal attacks on her, making demands of her, her exasperation with him. Of course, quite some basis for identifying with her.

But, she relies on social media, living with her phone, texting, reaching out for somebody to respond, some connections, some followers. More basis for identifying with her. One night, feeling frustrated, she searches for anybody else with the name, Bob Trevino. She finds one. And he replies. Hence the title and the clicking of “Like” when we receive a pleasing text.

The screenplay has introduced us to him before the contact with . He  is Lily a builder, married, a sad story about the death of their child at 21 months. He is a loner, preferring to stay at home, not many friends. And his wife spends her time with her hobby, creating photo book mementos, even entering national competitions and winning.

So, this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. The two first meet when there is a toilet crisis for the chair confined woman, and Lily asks Bob to come to fix it. And so the beginnings of conversations, revelations about the past, mutual support, Lily clearly finding her new friend, Bob Trevino, as a surrogate father figure. And, he is played was quite some tenderness and sensitivity by John Leguizamo.

Events do not quite turn out as we might have anticipated. There is a further falling out with her father who hands Lily a cost list of all the expenses he has incurred in bringing her up. Then he asks her for money to help him with the new search for a companion. Confident after meeting her friend, she stands up to her father.

Then further events certainly do not quite turn out as we might have anticipated, leading to some anxiety, some sorrow, and some very moving scenes with Bob’s wife.

One of the phrases to describe this kind of film is that it is a “slow-burner”. It begins rather quietly, and, when the audience surrenders to it, it touches the emotions, offers us many insights into human nature, something of a small film for all seasons.

(In fact, it is based on the experiences of the writer-director’s own search for her father.)

1. The title? Internet and texting, likes and loves?
2. The plot based on the writer-director’s experience? Heartfelt?
3. Popularity of the film, nominations and many awards? Humanitarian?
4. 21^st-century Internet story, the focus on phones and computers, in new connections, dependencies, texting, instant responses, eager awaiting of responses, likes, postings being ignored? Communication of photos? The ability to take photos instantly and post them?
5. Billy’s story? Her age, experience, appearance, happy, sad, friendly? Filling in the background story, the parents, her mother, addictions, disappearance? The father, self-focused, bringing up Lily, later presenting her with a list of costs, is like, in care, the connections with the women, photos on his phone, the dates, photos cutting out Lily from them, his angers with his daughter, the clashes, the conversations, the meals, his frugal attitude toward Spain, coupons? Breaking off communication with her? Her continued texting?
6. Lily and her work, with Daphne, in the chair, care for her, conversations, Daphne confronting her, urging her to go to the rage room, smash, primal scream? Lily unable to?
7. Lily texting, finding another Bob Trevino, the audience getting to know Bob, Mexican background, marriage to Jeannie, the story of the death of their child up to 21 months, the photos, Jeannie continually working scrapbooks, in competitions and winning? The sharing the winners scrapbook and photos of the children with Bob? His work, building houses, Harlan as his partner, Cavalier attitudes? The later visit of the inspector, an hour and a half late, while driving away, Hardin and his anxiety about safety, of having kept the books, the clash, I am dismissing him, Bob acting on it?
8. Bob, his personality, all his age, the death of the child, relationship with his wife? The going to Las Vegas to the partition? Her urging him out, his staying home to watch a movie? The encounter with Lily, responding to her posts, the effect on him, the effect on her? The plausibility of the communication?
9. Daphne, the toilet incident, her finding, his arrival, fixing the toilet, the discussions, going to the two shop, the continued communication?
10. The suggestion for the cup of coffee, they’re talking, the story of her father taking her dog, going to the vet, the photos with the dog? Lily and her happiness, the conversations, revealing herself, the effect on Bob, revealing himself, the photos?
11. Billi’s father contacting her, presenting her with the list of costs, his wanting money from her, his self-centredness, wanting dates and a companion? Lily and her stand, leaving him, going to the rage room, with Daphne and the smashing and the scream?
12. The audience seeing Bob, in the car, a heart attack, hospital, coma, the visit from Jeannie, the kiss?
13. Lily, her anxiety, waking in the night, the continued contacts, going to the house and try to get in, the police arriving?
14. The discovery of Bob’s death, with Daphne, Daphne is challenged to her about leaving on the dot, Daphne wanting to go with her to the funeral? The arrival, Jeannie present, Lily and her grief, Bob in the coffin? Jeannie, serious, asking Lily and Daphne to follow her, her change of demeanour, presenting her with the scrapbook, the text messages, the photos, Lily and her joy, Bob’s final message to her? (And audience tears?)
15. A pleasing portrait of Bob? Her pleasing portrait of Lily, her advantages and disadvantages, age, opening up, taking a stance with her father, her future?

THE SURVIVOR

US, 2021, 129 minutes, Colour.

Ben Foster, Billy Magnussen, Vicki Krieps, Peter Sarsgaard, Danny DeVito, John Leguizamo, Dar Zuzovsky, Paul Bates.

Directed by Barry Levinson.

The Survivor is well worth seeing.

This is the story of a Holocaust survivor, Harry Haft. While the film opens in 1963, Haft obviously a survivor and having prospered in some ways in the United States, the main action of the film takes place in 1949. And, within this framework, many flashbacks, filmed in black and white, the concentration camp. Audiences who appreciate the films which go back into the concentration camps, will find this most telling.

The film has been directed by veteran Barry Levinson, Oscar winner for Rain Man, writer of many films and then very successful as a director. And he is working with a complex screenplay effectively written by Sydney born Justine Jule Gilmer, whose early work was for Australian television, McClouds Daughters, Packed to the Rafters. The Survivor is her first film screenplay and he has written another screenplay about Irena Sandler, the Polish Catholic who rescued so many Jews from the ghetto

This is also a sports film. Harry Haft was separated from his girlfriend when she was taken to the camps, he surviving, chosen by an SS commander, played by Billy Magnusson, to find bouts for the entertainment of the Nazis, betting, and this is a great entrepreneurial success. These flashbacks also give the opportunity for audiences to see the harshness of life in the camp, the fights, and the final explanation by the commander about his attitudes towards the war and Nazi philosophy as well as a final confrontation between the two.

In 1949, Haft continues some boxing training and wants to fight against rocky Marciano despite his often lack of success in the ring. Very strong supporting cast for the training includes John Leguizamo as well as Danny DeVito, working for Marciano, but Jewish sympathies and taking time off to prepare Haft so that his defeat would be so devastating.

And there is the human story, Haft determined to find his lost girlfriend, encountering a young woman who works in a company searching out identities. They go out together, her supporting him, often exasperated with him, eventually marrying him.

Which means that this is a very strong film in terms of the Holocaust and Jewish tradition. But it is also a strong film in terms of the American sports world. And, in 1963, there is a very sad ending but one of affirmation for Harry Haft. The film is based on a book written by his son.

1. Based on a true story? A book by Harry Haft’s son?
2. The title, the concentration camps, Harry’s motive for survival, the United States, the boxing world picture and survival, surviving in the US?
3. The time frame, the opening in 1963, the range of flashbacks and their insertion, Poland and the concentration camps in black and white, 1949 and the boxing world in colour, 1963? The musical score, the Jewish melodies, hymns and chants?
4. The performance by Ben Foster, such loss of weight for the concentration camp scenes, putting on weight for the later 1940s and the 1960s episodes? The intensity of the performance, audience interest, like and dislike, sympathetic and unsympathetic?
5. The framework of the 1960s, audience knowing that there was some kind of happy development?
6. Harry, Polish Jew, with Leah, idyllic, her throwing stones, the arrest, her disappearance, Harry and his quest to find her, with the agency in New York, with Miriam, his angers and intensity, memories, yearning?
7. Harry in New York, his best friend, the boxing world, the gyms, his fights, friends, trainers? His defeats? The intensity of the boxing sequences? His wanting to fight Rocky Marciano, to get his name mentioned in the press, that Leah might see it (and the irony from the 1960s when she says she did see the write-ups but did not make contact)? The approaches, the discussions, the scepticism, finally getting the bout?
8. Harry and his training, the trainers and their personalities, working with him, the techniques, the importance of the dancing movements and his abilities? His visit to Marciano’s camp, the meeting with Charlie Goldman, Polish Jewish background, the warnings, ousting him, but having the camp with him, doing the training, that he should lose better and with more dignity that he might have? The importance of the fight, the result?
9. Harry, his moods, falling out with his friend?
10. The issue of the journalist, wanting his story, his friend wanting to keep quiet? The journalist and his questioning, Harry and his moods, the flashbacks, the story and the publication? The journalist watching the fights? And his promising to get information on Leah?
11. The importance of the flashbacks, the black-and-white photography, Harry and Leah her arrest? In the camp, amongst the many, the cumulative effect of the flashbacks and the narrative of his life in the camp, his friend and saving him? The parades, the hunger, the hard work, Harry and his attack? Schneider seeing him?
12. The significant events for Harry, Schneider patronising him, training him, the fights, to entertain the SS, the betting? The first fight, Harry and his reluctance, the appeal of the opponent for him to die with dignity, beaten, shot? The body taken away? The sequences of bodies, wagons, into the holes?
13. The consequences for Harry, Schneider and his character, smart and smooth, exploitative, yet some soft touches, the conversations, the training, the various bouts, his success, having to prove himself? The long sequence of the 30 rounds, the exhaustion, Harry and his reputation? The Jewish prisoners watching, the band playing, Harry and his being disliked, making his way through the crowd, for the celebration of Yom Kippur?
14. The insertion of the flashbacks of various stages in the story of the 1940s, the buildup to Harry, the possibility for escape, the confrontation with Schneider, his death?
15. Miriam, at the office, his insulting the head despite all the work, Miriam talking with him, going out with him, the boxing, his harshness, her being insulted, his pursuing her? Over the years, the marriage, her giving up her job, her character, her life with him?
16. The 1960s, the family, the shop, his work, the fruit? The children? His harshness on his son, thinking the son soft, wanting to train him, not telling him the story about his life?
17. The Germans, reappearing, the information about Leah? The family on holidays, at the beach? Miriam anxious? Harry, going off, the encounter with Leah, her life, her health, the discussions, his son watching? 20 years of Harry’s wanting to know her whereabouts, and finally meeting to say goodbye? And explaining his story to his son?
18. Harry living longer, his wife even longer, his children, and his son writing the story?