Brimming with an eccentric playfulness, yet able to navigate the sometimes-trivial experience of being a twentysomething, Julio Torres’ Problemista captures the essence of a generation in his directorial debut. Both written by and starring Torres, this semi-autobiographical journey of an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador is adorned with surrealism but still manages to ground itself within the chaos, by delivering moments of raw human connection.
Alejandro (Torres) begins his unusual hero’s journey with an expiring work visa. He’s living in Brooklyn having just been fired from his position at a cryogenic research facility. He meets Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton), the girlfriend of his assigned cryogenically frozen client, and in the hopes that she will sponsor him so he can renew his visa, he begins working for her as a freelance assistant. Elizabeth, having a substantially threatening aura, becomes somewhat of a personification of Alejandro’s anxiety and maintains her role as both an obstacle to his citizenship, as well as a companion willing to share some of her insane wisdom. While Elizabeth takes a more erratic approach to life, Alejandro moves timidly, creating the basis for the film’s unpredictable dynamic duo as they aim to curate an art gallery in honor of her frozen boyfriend, Bobby (RZA).
Torres, who has worked in the writer’s room for Saturday Night Live and is the creator of the horror-comedy series Los Espookys, infuses his character with an array of loveable quirks that accentuate his uneasy nervous system and unique curiosity for the world. Alejandro tiptoes around New York, working sketchy, cash-only jobs in an attempt to keep his financial debt at bay. While internally catastrophizing the possibility that he will have to move back to El Salvador, his anxiety always manifests outwardly in the form of a single, monotone, “Oh no,” capturing the strange Gen-Z fear of inconveniencing others with our own distress. But Alejandro does not always remain passive to the demands of his new “employer.” In fact, he takes a page from Elizabeth’s book and offers her an ultimatum to either accept the fact that even smaller-scale victories should be celebrated or forever be miserable.
Much like Alejandro’s aspiration to design toys that teach children how to prepare for life’s harsh realities, Problemista’s visual symbolism and deep appreciation for the surreal help illustrate his abstract way of thinking. While demonstrating the paradox of applying for citizenship, Alejandro appears in a series of rooms connected to one another either by trap door, or some other cartoonish exit where, in Sisyphean attempts at trying to reach the top, he is always unable to. At the local immigration office, he visualizes people disappearing into thin air once they have missed the deadline to qualify for a visa extension. There is also a looming sand timer that marks the expiration of his visa, which adds to the visceral anxiety that grows throughout the film. The visual tone coincides with Alejandro’s uncertainty of his role in New York, and this is how the film’s surrealism is able to exist alongside its sincerity. Though the film opens with a storybook-style narration and maintains its playfulness, this does not interfere with Torres’ exploration of queerness, immigration and the plight of young adults emerging into the world.
Problemista balances its abstract qualities with its protagonist’s heavy relatability in a way that engages its audience seamlessly. Visual storytelling brings us closer to the core of the characters’ imagination which also is the source of the film’s vibrancy. Torres’ script is saturated with the duality of looking back fondly at childhood while moving reluctantly into adulthood. Whether Alejandro is battling a fire-breathing dragon or meeting with his immigration lawyer, each obstacle in his journey is paired with the director’s distinct sense of humor. This debut is one that will hopefully open the door for more Torresian features, especially ones that manage to keep us laughing while sobbing and maintain a level of whimsy that eases the pain of existing, even for a little while.
Photo courtesy of A24
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