The film is at its strongest when it's just Bomer and Patiño, and their interplay is delightful. Bomer masterfully inhabits the role, with Sean's neuroses and sadness always ringing true. Sean is the kind of guy who always seems to buzz with nervous energy, not always in a good way. The film grows darker as we learn more about what happened to Carlos and see Sean try to connect with another man (Ryan Guzman). Plus, he loves Madonna's "Borderline," which provides the basis for a laugh-out-loud moment and shatters the stereotype that all undocumented Mexican immigrants listen exclusively to Vicente Fernandez and the like. Ernesto is just a normal, kind man who sees that Sean is hurting and lonely, and provides a friendly shoulder for him. There is no macho homophobia from Ernesto, who is simply nonplussed.īutler smartly resists making Ernesto a sage fountain of wisdom whose words will lift Sean out of his malaise.
He realizes Sean is gay and dutifully reports back to his wife (she thinks it's like "Pretty Woman" and he's Julia Roberts). For example, the joke is never at Ernesto's expense, and he's drawn as a fully-rounded character (Patiño is terrific, slyly underplaying the role). Sean has Ernesto accompany him to a party, and everyone assumes they're dating (Sean's last partner was also Hispanic).Īs the film moves forward, the potential minefields inherent in the situation become more apparent, as does the skill that Butler uses to avoid them. Soon, they're hiking, hitting a health-food store and enjoying an afternoon boat ride (Ernesto insists that he row). He enjoys their conversations, which consist of Sean unloading a lot of emotional baggage and Ernesto, pleasantly ambivalent, going along. The job will take more than one day, so Ernesto returns. Hey, Ernesto needs to eat, right? So Sean picks up Vietnamese food from a place that's gotten great reviews on Yelp, and insists that Ernesto join him for lunch. A thought occurs to Sean, who misses having someone to talk to. It makes the two men feel like they’re on a level playing field, as least intellectually speaking.įor $20 an hour, Ernesto agrees to refinish and paint the deck. Sean’s Spanish isn’t much better a wise move on the part of writer-director John Butler. He selects Ernesto (Alejandro Patiño), a 50-something family man who knows a smattering of English words. What to do? Realizing that he’s not particularly handy, he decides to hire a day laborer from a group of men who stand outside a hardware store, hoping for jobs. Needy and helpless, Sean still calls his voice mail, just to hear the outgoing message.Īfter the plant is moved, a large circle remains on his deck where the pot rested ("a vicious circle," Sean sighs). That includes getting rid of a large potted plant, apparently the last remnant of his romance with Carlos.
“An intense case of acid reflux,” he tells his boss, attempting to downplay the incident.įorced to take a few days off, he decides to focus on working around the house. It’s been six months since his last relationship ended, and he breaks down crying during a mortifying broadcast. Matt Bomer plays Sean, a handsome Los Angeles weatherman who owns an expensive house with a great view. Funny, empathetic and tender, it pretty much sneaks up and catches you off-guard with its sly charms. The buddy comedy “Papi Chulo” could go wrong in all sorts of ways, so it’s kind of a minor miracle how much it actually gets right. Watch Video: An unlikely relationship develops in 'Papi Chulo'
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