Papi Chulo

Devastated with heartbreak, a Los Angeles TV weatherman, Sean (Matt Bomer), has an on-air meltdown in the midst of predicting a heat wave. The station insists he take a sabbatical and his friends urge him to find someone to talk to, but Sean opts to swap self-care for home improvement. From a huddle of men seeking day labour outside the hardware store, Sean hires Ernesto (a brilliantly deadpan Alejandro Patiño) to paint his deck. Their initially straightforward business arrangement rapidly extends to strolling and boating excursions during which Sean tells Ernesto all about himself, despite the fact that the two don't share a common language. In fact, this affluent, white, gay celebrity and this working class, Mexican father of five don't appear to have much in common at all. Does Sean want a tradesman or a sounding board? And just how much immersion in Sean's emotional mire can Ernesto be expected to bear? (Toronto International Film Festival)