Alejandro is an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in NY. As time runs out on his work visa, a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast becomes his only hope to stay in the country.
Chuck says:
Embracing its sense of quirkiness and running with it, Julio Torres’ “Problemista” is cut from the same cloth as the films of Charlie Kauffman as it presents a world that resembles our own yet presented through a distinctly different perspective. Torres not only directed and wrote the script, but stars as Alejandro, a young man from El Salvador who has come to New York City to pursue his dream of becoming a toy maker. He’s far from an overnight success and with the clock ticking on his visa, he’s in desperate need of a sponsor. Enter Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton), an abrasive art critic looking for someone to help her archive and curate a show featuring her dead husband Bobby’s (RZA) artwork. Alejandro is perfect for the job, as he’s been assigned to maintain Bobby’s body at the cryogenic clinic where he works. However, Elizabeth’s overbearing mien and constant demands drive him to the edge.
There’s an assurance to Torres’ work that belies his age, the film moving at a steady pace, the tone of the scenes consistent throughout, and the performances pitch perfect. He wisely underplays every scene he shares with Swinton, as the actress’ broad characterization draws our attention throughout. His stoic responses to her outlandish behavior is the perfect counterpoint, the wry humor generated throughout a deception, as the script’s poignancy is slowly revealed, ultimately making it all the more powerful. Much like the offbeat toys rattling around in Alejandro’s mind, “Problemista” is a film that marches to the beat of its own drum and is the better for it.
3 1/2 Stars
Pam says:
Bizarrely entertaining, this surrealistic look at a young immigrant attempting to stay in the United States, is wonderfully unique and surprising. Starring Julio Torres who also dons the writer’s and director’s hats, Alejandro has a problem. He is fired from his job — the one thing he needs to keep his visa and stay in America. Coincidentally, he finds a possible new sponsor with striking red, wild hair, crazy blue eye shadow, and punches of pink cheeks by the name of Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton). Having recently lost her husband Bobby, an artist, Elizabeth and Alejandro team up to bring Bobby back to life through an art exhibit…Bobby’s, dare I say it, “eggsibit.”
Torres’s persona is odd yet charming, innocent and caring, as he comprehends Elizabeth in a way that no one else could possibly do. Alejandro is meant to find a solution to his own problem and help Elizabeth solve hers as well…. deal with grief and her loss of love with all its flaws.
Adding to the wild and wonderfully erratic behavior of Elizabeth is Torres’s directional choice of adding surreal imaginative moments and quirky musical choices ranging from chants and sing-song ting-a-lings. Equally inventive is the intermittent use of a narrator, sometimes stating the obvious — humorously — and other times cleverly adding nuance to our understanding of all the characters that enter Alejandro’s life.
Swinton appears to seek out unusual and demanding roles and this is certainly fitting for her. She relishes in odd characters and brings this one to life and we love her even as she is someone depicted as a two-headed dragon and a monster. Countering this is Torres’s softness in Alejandro, providing love and light in the darkness. Together, they are magical.
“Problemista” is filled with wonder, joy, symbolism, and problems we all know and understand. It’s one of the most original movies I’ve seen this year.
3 1/2 Stars
