by Jake Hjort, Contributing Writer
I’ve been a fan of Saturday Night Live since I was a kid, staying up late most weekends to watch the sketch comedy. In recent years, one of the big up-and-coming talents incubated on the show is writer Julio Torres. The mind behind “Papyrus”and “Wells for Boys,” two of the funniest prerecorded segments of the past decade, I’ve enjoyed following Torres’ standup and writing work. Since I learned that his directorial debut, Problemista, debuted at South by Southwest last year, I’ve been eagerly awaiting its wide release so that I could check it out myself.
Starring, written, and directed by Torres, Problemista tells the story of Alejandro (Torres), a Salvadoran immigrant living in New York City aspiring to become a toy designer for Hasbro. In order to keep his visa and stay in the country, Alejandro finds himself working for Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton), an insufferable art critic trying to put on a gallery show highlighting the work of her cryogenically preserved husband, Bobby (RZA), an artist who exclusively painted eggs.
At its heart, Problemista is a very quirky, sincere, and funny film featuring two great performances. Torres shines as Alejandro despite, his lack of experience in front of the camera, perfectly delivering the lines and displaying the mannerisms of a man not quite comfortable in the world in which he’s found himself. As he’s Salvadoran immigrant who moved to New York to pursue his creative endeavors himself, I’m sure Torres drew a lot of his own experiences and personality into Alejandro, which really helps him to feel genuine. Swinton is excellent as well, taking every opportunity to be unbearable to everyone around her in ways that are both completely over-the-top, but also way too close to home for anyone who’s worked in a service industry. There are some great small supporting performances as well, including last year’s Past Lives standout, Greta Lee, doing some superb facial acting in a quick scene, and Larry Owens as an unhinged manifestation of Craigslist.
I also really enjoyed a lot of the imagery and visual flare in Problemista. Torres’ works have a unique sense of surrealism, his world feeling both heightened from reality but grounded, with a strong sense of sincerity. In Alejandro’s attempts to navigate the American immigration system, there is the recurring image of a locked room that he needs to get into, with the key tantalizingly stored on the other side of the door. There’ are several more of these fun and fantastical elements throughout the film, from Alejandro’s profoundly depressing toy designs to Bobby’s portfolio of eggs, which help make Problemista stand out from your typical, run-of-the-mill comedy.
The one thing that Problemista is lacking is a sense of balance. This isn’t just about the film’s pacing — although it definitely does drag at times — but in regard to its script and direction as well. There’s a lot of good stuff in the film, but there’s just a little bit too much of some of it, and that excess can feel grating. Whether it be the quirky surrealism or Alexandra’s monstrous behavior, things that were once funny and endearing become obnoxious by the end. A lot of this will likely improve as Torres gains more experience in his career, but what he really needs right now is a great editor.
Problemista is by no means a perfect film, but it certainly is a fun one. I really vibe with Torres’ sense of humor and visual storytelling, and I found it interesting to see his perspective on an immigrant’s experience in the U.S. He still needs some time to hone his craft, but Torres is clearly a talented performer and filmmaker, and I look forward to seeing what other projects he has in store.
Rating: Liked it
Problemista is currently playing in theaters
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