If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you combined the fish-out-of-water whimsy of Paddington with the uncomfortable conversations of Curb Your Enthusiasm, look no further, because that’s exactly what first-time director Julio Torres has done with his purposefully awkward Problemista.
Packed to overflow with brazen social faux pas and problematic behavior, Problemista skewers the likes of clueless Karens, entitled know-nothings, corporate lackeys, government goons, and nose-in-the-air art enthusiasts with the kind of biting and surreal wit usually reserved for Monty Python or King of the Hill. And while its constant barrage of cringeworthy interactions can get tedious at times, its big heart and relatable conflicts keep it pleasantly chugging along throughout the storm.
Torres stars as Alejandro, an El Salvadoran immigrant living in New York with big dreams of a successful career in toy making. As his internship application with Hasbro is repeatedly rejected via automated email, Alejandro finds himself on the wrong end of his work visa expiration date and must find a sponsor within 30 days or be deported.
After taking a job at FreezeCorp, a cryogenics firm that freezes people for future thaw, Alejandro meets Elizabeth (an unhinged Tilda Swinton in the role was seemingly born to play), the wife of a frozen artist whose claim to fame while living was painting portraits of eggs (played in flashback by Wu-Tang Clan member RZA). Soon, the young would-be toy maker finds himself in the employ of the abrasive Elizabeth in exchange for her sponsorship and, therefore, an extension of his work visa.
Predictably, it’s Elizabeth’s abrasive behavior and Alejandro’s exasperated response to it that keep the film going, but there’s more here than meets the eye. Buried within Elizabeth’s crazed Larry-David-meets-Triumph-the-Insult-Comic-Dog-styled tirades lies a very sweet story about both the pursuit of the American dream and the bitter effects of aging and isolation.
Torres, who penned the script and is himself an immigrant, uses Alejandro’s experiences to demonstrate the needless, and often mindless, circle of futility faced by many searching for a better life, while contrasting it with Elizabeth’s absurd but uniquely American bull-in-a-china-shop approach to, well, everything. Even their appearances convey the disparity in their mindsets: Alejandro with unkempt hair and a constant cowlick, and Elizabeth with severe features and jagged shoulder pads.
Elizabeth, who comes from privilege, has her immediate needs met through intense bullying but lacks any sense of contentment or happiness. Alejandro, on the other hand, is an honest, hard worker who deserves a break but can’t seem to get one. It isn’t until these two seemingly opposite forces of nature combine their powers that either succeeds in their ultimate goals. But, even in success, Torres has some interesting surprises—some comedically hallucinatory, some disturbingly dark, and some disappointingly flat—up his clever sleeve.
James is a writer, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.