Indie Spirit Revue: "Problemista"

by Nick Taylor

As a fan of Julio Torres's work on SNL for years who's had only intermittent contact with his other ventures, I am so goddamn delighted by Problemista. Every loopy, queer, topical, cubist dimension to his art is so fruitfully deployed while allowing the colors and slashes of every single collaborator to shine as brightly as he does. As a showcase of singular, unpredictable comedic instincts, this beats almost every other 2024 film for mining laughs from all directions. Bizarre art objects, wry narration, ridiculous tableaus, fantasy costumes, goofy-ass behavior, incredible commitment to the bit from all sides. She's got it all…

Problemista follows NYC-based aspiring toymaker Alejandro (Torres) trying to find an employer to sponsor his visa after losing his job at a cryogenic storage facility for the simple mistake of briefly unplugging a client on accident. The client's wife, avant-gartist and FileMaker Pro advocate Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton, extraordinary and criminally under-nominated for a whole year of adventurous actressing), quickly snatches Alejandro up as her assistant, promising to sign his work visa paperwork if he can help get her frozen husband's final series into a gallery. The US immigration system is a bureaucratic labyrinth through which almost no mortal can face, meaning this unstable hipster is the unlikely savior Ale needs.

You ever think about how funny eggs are? Maybe you should behold a dozen lovingly painted portraits about it. Torres regards cinema like an egg: beautiful, full of limitless possibilities for preparation, seasoning, cook time, and presentation to become a scrumptious meal for himself and his audience. The plot description I just gave is a poignant backbone for all of Problemista's insights, yet it's just as often made subordinate to other dalliances and flights of fantasy. At different times, Ale's relationship with Elizabeth feels like the most important thing in the world, without clarifying it into an ultimate lesson. 

The significance of their bond is obvious, but I like how Ale's handling of her resembles so many workplace dynamics, where you try to glean what you can from a fundamentally unstable personality so you can better manage their moods - if you learn anything from them, it's tantamount to a happy accident. At different times, Ale's relationship with his mother, Dolores (Catalina Saavedra), who regularly calls him from El Salvador, is the center of Problemista's whole world. Or maybe we'll spend time with an old flame of Elizabeth's husband, or a sensual embodiment of Craigslist residing in the Pink Opaque, or a series of shady jobs to pay off exorbitant visa fees.

Torres's history in television, improv, and sketch comedy is on full display in Problemista, hopping from one bit to the next and incorporating another goofy idea or absurdist quandary. The overall structure could likely stand some additional shaping of its extended themes and one-off oddities, but even so, I'm just grateful to see such an eclectic vision of comedy with something to say about immigration, family, creativity, and practical applications for the delusional entitlement of an unwell white woman. There's simply nothing like it out here, and I hope more people see it. (Real quick tho: Harvey Guillen should've been cast as Alejandro. Can you fucking imagine? He'd have killed it.) 

Problemista is nominated for Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.