Sean's frazzled nerves wonderfully plays off of Ernesto's almost stoic, silent reactions, and soon, Sean forgets about the work at hand and pretty much pays Ernesto to be his pal by taking a boating trip around Echo Park or as his guest to an all gay male party. With cultural, sexual, and language differences as barriers, the two form an unlikely but beautiful bond. for his role as Bossman from the longstanding stage comedy troupe Chico's Angels). When he discovers that handyman work and he do not exist in the same universe, he does what many privileged Los Angelenos do and hires an immigrant day laborer in the form of Ernesto (Alejandro Patiño from The Bridge, Weeds, and known to many in L.A. In doing so, he exposes an unpainted circle on the wooden porch, so off to the hardware store he goes. Clearly on the verge of a nervous breakdown, he decides to rid himself of the last vestiges from his ex Carlos by selling a potted tree on his back patio. Sean has a knack for over-sharing, over-staring, and just plain making people feel uncomfortable. Sometimes Bomer's almost perfect features can work against him, but here he taps into a whole host of identifiable traits, making this one of his most accomplished, tricky and lovable performances. Asked by his Station Manager, in a beautifully understated performance by Wendy McLendon-Covey, to take a leave of absence, a jittery Sean takes time out in his now empty hillside show palace.īomer, who showed off his gifts in The Normal Heart, really shines here as a man who can't control his emotions or his motormouth.

Writer-director John Butler (Handsome Devil) gets our attention in its opening scene as we witness a meltdown by gay TV Meteorologist Sean (Matt Bomer) who processes the end of a relationship while on air. Great filmmakers and actors find something specific in visual terms or in character detail to latch us in, while others end up with less than engaging experiences. LOSS IN TRANSLATION - My Review of PAPI CHULO (3 1/2 Stars)įilms dealing with grieving often face an uphill battle when an audience feels forced to identify with a character in mourning that they've just met.

Papi chulo 2018