Some films struggle to balance style with substance, but Problemista isn’t one of them. It’s brandished with Torres’ unique brand of surrealist aesthetic, which is colorful, freakish, and fun, while also accurately relaying the pains of coming to and making it in America as an outsider. We see Alejandro accept increasingly debasing gigs as he runs out of time and money in the deep maze that is America’s immigration bureaucracy. And all the while, he’s being both genuinely funny and painfully incisive. Torres is not the first person to point out that in this day and age, the monsters we face are overbearing employers, greedy bankers, and exploitative companies, but he just might be one of the few to do it with such imaginative grace.
"Heartfelt from the first moments, Torres’ directorial debut will undoubtedly stick with you and have you dreaming of the odyssey of your own life – and, of course, how you hope to push through it like Alejandro does for himself."
— Lex Briscuso
"Torres’s directorial eye is wholly his own, though one can see shades of Miranda July, Michel Gondry, and Charlie Kaufman in Problemista."
— Matthew Jacobs
Alejandro is an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador, struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in New York City. As time on his work visa runs out, a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast becomes his only hope to stay in the country and realize his dream.
To avoid being deported, aspiring toymaker Alejandro (Julio Torres) must mount an art show for the mercurial curator Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton), who promises to sponsor his work visa if he succeeds.
Torres’ gem of a script. One particularly memorable favorite is Swinton’s accusatory line, “You know nothing of widgets!”
This is for anyone who’s woken up sweating from a nightmare about freakin' paperwork.
Spirit Awards
2 nominations
عالیه دیالوگ و افکار رو دوست دارم
Great watch, thanks for recommending.