Year: 2013
Rating: PG
Director: Lynn-Maree Milburn
Cast: Father Bob Maguire, John Safran
Distributor: Madman
Available: Now
Rating: 4 Stars
Very few documentaries profile a personality as unconventional and fascinating as Father Bob Maguire in the brilliant In Bob We Trust. Starting back in 2009, the 75-year-old Catholic priest is pressured to retire from his South Melbourne parish by the church hierarchy, but the headstrong priest refuses to bow down, struggling with his employer for over three years. What drives the documentary is Father Bob himself; he is outspoken, peculiar, entertaining, and passionate. While his previous condemnations of the church hierarchy and institution brand him problematic, Father Bob’s dedication is to his community, and helping the underprivileged. What ensues is a battle between an individual and establishment.
Directed by Lynn-Maree Milburn and co-edited by Richard Lowenstein, this innovative, fun, yet moving story explains the origins of Father Bob, and how his refusal to retire expanded into a national media phenomenon. There are comedic segments referencing Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal, with comedian, John Safran, as Death, and Father Bob playing chess on a beach. Inspiringly directed and superbly edited, In Bob We Trust is a breath of fresh air. Features include extra footage.
Originally published in FilmInk Magazine, April 25, 2014.
Watch the trailer for In Bob We Trust below:
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