'Problemista' Brings A New Take On A Familiar Problem
Funny, energetic, with a slice of pretentiousness, Problemista is a unique take on immigration that isn't preachy or repetitious. It's the story of a young man who's immigrated to the United States in hopes of staying a citizen. His time as an immigrant is running out. The only hope he has of staying a US citizen is the sponsorship of an employer who can grant him a work visa. Almost nobody can help him. Alejandro (Julio Torres) is running out of time. A method in which the film repetitiously cuts to a sandglass to provide a metaphorical ticking clock for the audience.
There are many comedic angles centered around immigration that a director could take. Starring themselves is an odd one. They could make their film feel pretentious, which, as I said before, the movie kind of is, but not to the extent that I found it entirely distracting. Why does Julio Torres have to star in the movie that he's writing and directing? I understand it's his story, and he could do as well as he pleases with it. Yet, aren't there plenty of actors in the world who can portray him? Torres' performance is serviceable for the level of dramatization required from his character in the story. Torres plays every scene on a single note. Julio Torres plays the young, anxious teenager in the film. In every scene, he acts nervous, quivering with his delivery like a wounded puppy dog. It works for the narrative, but an elevated performance from a real actor could have worked more effectively.
When the director writes, produces, and acts their narrative, it seems like someone is doing too much all at once. Bradley Cooper could direct as Leonard Bernstein but could not portray Leonard Bernstein. Whenever Spike Lee appears in one of his films, it does nothing but provide a distraction. The same goes for Martin Scorsese's unneeded performance at the end of Killers of the Flower Moon. Even if this is Julio's story, starring yourself is a narcissistic move that doesn't need to be made when there's a world of readily available actors. Call me skeptical but I suspect Julio appeared in his movie to get more fame. Luckily for him, the movie is pretty darn good.
Problemista is one of the most imaginative comedies since Everything Everywhere All at Once. It uses humor to explore the plot's theme. Like Everything Everywhere, the movie has a commentary on immigration. Similar to Michelle Yeoh's Evelyn, Julio Torres' Alejandro works tirelessly to stay in the United States. Also, there's an element of science fiction attached to the story, like EEAAO had. There's a company called Freeze Corp in the film that cryogenically freezes patients who want to be awakened in the future. Alejandro wants to get a job at Freeze Corp but is rejected. On his way out, he runs into Elizabeth, played wonderfully, as always, by Tilda Swinton.
Elizabeth shouts at the worker at Freeze Corp, wondering what is going on with her husband, who has agreed to freeze himself. Elizabeth is an eccentric woman who spends most of her time screaming at other people and then tells them not to scream back at her when they actually don't. Through Elizabeth's help, Alejandro will earn his work visa. But will it be on time?
The film's structure and Tilda Swinton's performance are what make this film stand out so much. The movie is narrated by Isabella Rossellini like the viewer is reading a book. To keep itself from being tiresomely conventional, Julio Torres inserts lots of euphemistic imagery to push the story forwards. To make the film interesting, the movie cuts to a fantasy sequence where Elizabeth is the devil, granting Alejandro what he wishes, only if he does her beckoning.
One thing he must learn is a program called File Maker Pro. It's like having to know Excel or Google Sheets. If you're a videographer like me, you need to know Adobe Premiere, Photoshop, and After Effects at the very least, After Effects being the most difficult one to comprehend. If you don't know these programs, then you may as well be in another field. Alejandro not knowing File Maker Pro is a very common problem that I can empathize with. How do you learn an entire program in a week? Especially when there are so many other things to keep track of?
As mentioned at the beginning of the review, there's a constant cutaway to an hourglass that represents how much time Alejandro has until his citizenship is up. It's a race to the clock for Alejandro to gain sponsorship from Elizabeth. The film doesn't break any new ground but does feel different. Thanks to Isabella Rossellini's narration, a standout performance from Tilda Swinton, and some trippy imagery to drive many points home, Problemista is a charming narrative that takes its plot in unexpected directions.
Problemista will be releasing in Chicago on March 8th with a nationwide release in late March.
