Whimsy has gotten a bad rap in Hollywood. In the hands of some filmmakers, a fanciful approach can be a sign of vacuousness—an attempt to obscure a simplistic or disorienting story through layers of finesse. But the framework of fairy tales has always been a vehicle for darkness, for complex and sinister lessons about adulthood hidden beneath a more friendly veneer. and with his feature debut “problemistawriter-director julio torres adapts the structure of fairy tales to tell a warm, funny and thoughtful narrative of the immigrant experience in America.
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Alejandro (Torres), our narrator explains, has always been a dreamer. Raised in El Salvador by a mother who encouraged his creativity, Alejandro immigrated to the United States to apply for a position at Hasbro’s virtual talent incubator. He’s an aspiring toy designer, you see, and because Hasbro’s online application only allows applications from within the United States, Alejandro has made a small life for himself in New York City, working for a cryogenics company. as he waits for Hasbro to accept. his application.
But when an accident at work costs him his job – and therefore his work visa – Alejandro finds himself racing his ticking immigration clock. He is required to pay legal costs to sponsor him to another employer, but is not allowed to make money until a new sponsor is found. This contradiction pushes him right into Elizabeth’s arms (Tilda Swinton), an art critic who seeks to raise money for the preservation of her late husband Bobby (rza, Bobby gets cold after a terminal cancer diagnosis in the hope that he’ll one day wake up to a cure – and finds a new appreciation for his paintings of eggs. If Alejandro can help Elizabeth get a private showing for Bobby’s work, she promises to sponsor his employment.
“Problemista” is a film about artistic vision, although this kind of vision appeals to few people. When inspiration strikes, Alejandro reaches for his notebook, sketching unsold toys. We see her pitch for a Barbie doll with her fingers crossed behind her back, a Cabbage Patch doll whose iPhone accessory contains pictures of strange wounds that she sends to her family in hopes of a diagnosis, A truck with a flat tire. Alejandro explains that toys are very much engaged with the concept of fun, and his designs are meant to challenge children as well as entertain them.
who know Torres through standup or her work”los espuquies“- or even just”Saturday night LiveSketches such as ‘Wells for Boys’ – would recognize this type of gag as part of the writer-director’s absurdist streak of humor. Torres’s characters have an ethereal kind of confidence, resolute in their desires even at the risk of alienating the audience. “Problemista” combines all of his comedic tendencies into one wonderful package, playing with humor and storytelling that’s remarkably cohesive but undeniably both.
Granted, he’s got some help. Swinton gets a little Miranda Priestly in the character of Elizabeth, Alejandro’s abusive future employer. Those close to him refer to her as Hydra, a woman whose rejection only inspires doubly resentment on his part. Elizabeth is undoubtedly one of Swinton’s great cinematic additions, but the emotion that drives her—as an artist to earn recognition for her late husband (and justify her own sacrifices in the process) – surprisingly not far from the surface. We can laugh as Elizabeth fights a never-ending battle against the digital filing system and iPad keyboard, but we — like Alejandro — can’t belittle her yearning for some sense of control over something in her life.
The film’s rhythm is built around Elizabeth’s repeated outbursts and Alejandro’s fanciful visions. He often imagines Elizabeth as a dragon and himself as a reluctant knight; Meanwhile, he identifies his dead-end Craigslist searches as a hedonistic emcee wrapped in digital clutter. In this way, Julio Torres positions himself as a cross. Miranda July And Bryan Fuller, using whimsy and lo-fi theatrics to tell a story about the tenacity it takes to hold onto dreams. Elizabeth and Alejandro are kin because they each have a piece of what it takes to keep those dreams alive – but their success requires both coercion and empathy that can only be found when they’re together Be
But whereas many films like “Problemista” build a dichotomy between fantasy and reality, Torres juxtaposes the two. In one scene, Alejandro requests a Bank of America representative to process a payment that was flagged as fraudulent. With that payment, Alejandro’s bank account quickly falls victim to a series of overdraft fees, an extensive penalty that wipes out what little of his savings he has. The woman says with a pained smile, the check was conducted “for her safety”. We see the scene as fiction – our brave knight collapsing under the weight of a hundred rocks – but the financial struggle beneath it is undeniably real.
In fact, “Problemista” is like the toys Alejandro makes: it offers a veneer of childlike wonder, but each moment is meant to compel our own reflections on life and interpersonal relationships. Torres works in fantasy not out of contradiction or self-gratification, but because fairy tales are the best way to tell emotionally complex stories. Torres peels back the layers of the immigrant story in something as packaged as entertainment. It may sound cynical, but you don’t need to dig too deep beneath the surface to find universal feelings. [A-]
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