Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Set in New York city, ‘Problemista’ is artsy, surreal, absurd, comical, emotional, troubling, maybe even frustrating, but 100% entertaining to the ‘right’ crowd’. The film follows Alejandro, an aspiring Toy designer from El Salvador desperately trying to find someone to sponsor his US work visa after he gets fired from his job.
Written and directed by Julio Torres, who also plays primary protagonist Alejandro, ‘Problemista’ opens with the character’s younger version playing with his mother. His childhood seems happy, idyllic, and the boy is encouraged to follow his dreams. So he chooses the tough path of an immigrant vying for a hard to get opportunity with a top American toy firm. Tilda Swinton plays Elizabeth, a temperamental art critic who takes up Alejandro as her assistant and promises to sponsor his visa. But until she makes good the promise, he must remain in her good books, which isn’t an easy ask.
Tall, loud, sporting blazing red(dish) hair, Elizabeth is just a fiery as her tresses, dubbed ‘Medussa’ by those who know her, the monstress. And just like how many argue that Medussa is a misunderstood tragic character from Greek mythology, Elizabeth’s likability too is a matter of debate. The character in the first half of ‘Problemista’ feels like an exaggerated raging Karen – she bosses about everybody and fights all the time to get her way. Tilda Swinton portrays her excellently, huffing and puffing through anger, rage, and complaints through the runtime.
Julio Torres’ Alejandro on the other hand is the complete opposite. He is calm, kind, patient, and literally walks with a happy bounce in his step, as if life is all roses and rainbows. If one sees him on the street, Alejandro looks likes he is gliding through life, even though in reality, he is crushed with problems, financial burdens, and an uncertain future.
Rapper RZA plays supporting character Bobby, Elizabeth’s boyfriend, lying frozen in a company working to find a way to revive its clients in the future. Alejandro attempts to help Elizabeth hold an exhibition for Bobby’s painting, which are just large portraits of eggs. Meanwhile, Alejandro also keeps signing up for random Craiglist errands and jobs to cover his high visa fees.
Each time Alejandro goes on Craiglist, instead of using a boring shot of him sitting and browing through the computer, ‘Problemista’ shows him talking to a quirkily dressed man, who reads out the listings as if they were doomsday prophesies. The metaphorical representation is hilarious, portraying the weird black hole of Craiglist ads, which range from gigs distributing flyers, to strange fetish requests.
There are multiple ways viewers can interpret the themes of ‘Problemista’, there’s of course Alejandro’s struggles as an immigrant to survive in the U.S, where the system seems rigged against outsiders with light pockets. But it’s also a strangely satirical yet heartfelt look at how two extremely different individuals shape each others lives.
Elizabeth is the kind of person who creates problems, and yet manages to intimidate and bulldoze people into giving her what she wants, not every time, but well, enough times to live a comfortable life. Alejandro on the other hand tries to turn problems into opportunities, and even then things don’t necessarily go his way.
Thanks to Elizabeth’s domineering presence and sage advice, Alejandro eventually learns how to create problems that can turn the situation in his favor. Their work relationship is turbulent, comical, and almost anxiety inducing. The primary tension in ‘Problemista’ remains over how Alejandro gets his work visa extended. Would it be through the tempestuous Elizabeth? A new job? Or will the poor boy pack his bags and go back home?
Julio Torres crafts a wonderfully weird tale about pursuing your dreams in a foreign land, dealing with unfair systems, unexpected people, and crisis. The climactic moments of ‘Problemista’ is excellent, it’s delivers the right amount of chaos, absurdity, and emotional closure to its viewers. If you love offbeat, quirky, artsy films, this is the film to add to your ‘watch list’.
Rating: 9 on 10. Watch ‘Problemista’ on Netflix.
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