Now that Matt Bomer had sparked my interest, I was eager to start the deep dive into his acting work, but what to watch first? White Collar looked the most promising to me. I love police procedurals. I can watch them day and night, re-watch after re-watch. I find them relaxing, oddly enough. so the premise of a convicted white collar criminal trading his consulting services for fresh-aired freedom while under lock and key of an ankle bracelet, is right up my alley. add in light hearted banter, a charming master criminal, and his rat pack style of suits and fedora, and I am sold! I’m looking forward to catching up on all six seasons of this one.
I decided to savor White Collar slowly, so I moved on to a binge watch of Traveler; another crime based action show, albeit from 2007. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I really got into the suspense of it. Traveler follows the plight of 3 college roommates who carry out a juvenile prank of rollerblading through a crowded museum. the joyride goes horribly wrong when a bomb detonates directly after their antics. as the two rollerblading culprits try to regroup in the chaotic aftermath of the explosion, news reports show that their prank was caught on security cameras and they were now suspects in the bombing. a comment they recall from their missing roommate causes them to suspect him of the crime. after a frantic call to the police explaining their suspicions isn’t as receptive as they’d hoped, the two friends find themselves on the run and part of a conspiracy they had no knowledge of. I quickly became invested in the fate of both friends, although Jay (Matt Bomer) seemed to have more of a level head throughout. unfortunately the show only lasted one season and wasn’t renewed, ending on a cliffhanger.
My next sampling of Matt Bomer’s work was the period drama series The Last Tycoon, which revolves around a movie studio in the height of Hollywood glamour. it takes place in the 1930s, in the midst of the great depression and the growing shadows of Hitler’s Nazism. I really liked the setting of the story, both visually and historically; the grand opulence of Hollywood and it’s corporate players, alongside the struggling workers and displaced migrants. I grew attached to the main character, Monroe, the successful and driven brains behind fictional Brady American Studios. he exuded power and influence with a charm that got things done without making enemies. Monroe was well liked and exceedingly respected in the business, with good reason, he was very skilled at his job and also very loyal to the studio head that gave him his start.
as the story unfolded and exposed the dark underbelly of business and power, I became highly invested in Monroe’s steadfast integrity, fearing a fall from the revered pedestal that so many placed him upon. so maybe it was a good thing that the series only lasted one season without renewal because the finale left him in an oppressing situation that would have either broken his spirit or caused him to make a last stand with disastrous repercussions.
I thought I should round out the television offerings with a movie, so I chose the lighthearted drama Papi Chulo, about a lonely man who befriends the Spanish speaking worker he impulsively hires to paint his wooden deck. this was a sweet movie that had me hiding behind my hands in second hand embarrassment for a good portion of the film, due to the main character’s awkward attempt to connect with someone after a romantic break-up leaves him feeling isolated. by the end of the movie I couldn’t decide who I wanted to hug more: Sean (Matt Bomer) for his vulnerable honesty and all around cuteness, or Ernesto (Alejandro Patino) for his patience and fatherly understanding.
Sean only spoke broken Spanish, and I was never certain how much English Ernesto really understood but he graciously let Sean talk his heartbreak out, while essentially getting paid for his companionship, instead of the day labor he agreed to. and when Sean’s emotions finally break free and send him spiraling, it was touching to see the respect Ernesto gave Sean’s devastation. because grief is universal.
the movie is less a story told on screen, as it is a visual depiction of emotion. there isn’t a lot of dialogue, aside from Sean talking out loud to himself through his interactions with Ernesto, but the film is beautifully shot and there are small ‘big moments’ of poignancy.
What I’ve learned about Matt’s acting style from these four roles, is that he does charismatic charm really, really well but in a way that’s not hollow or generic. his smile may be a deadly weapon but his eyes are full of sincerity and a steadfast determination that is addicting to watch. luckily, I can gobble up the goodness by binge watching large portions, instead of nibbling on weekly crumbs. one of the advantages of being late to the game and not discovering someone until years after everyone else!
Getting Caught Up In The Mechanism 