Not only is Problemista a very funny comedy, but it’s one of the better ruminations on the modern immigrant experience I’ve seen. Written and directed by Julian Torres, who also stars, this bizarre little film follows the exploits of Alejandro, an idealistic, meek toy designer who has made his way from El Salvador to New York City with dreams of working for Hasbro. He’s an undeniably imaginative young man, and despite having a supportive mother back home, the systems in place here in the states seem to be working double time to ensure that Alejandro is purged from our borders as quickly as possible. This results in him embracing the gig economy and hoping against all hope that somebody, somewhere will sponsor his citizenship.
A potential sponsor comes in the form of Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton), the delusional, demanding wife of Bobby (RZA), an artist who, after receiving a terminal diagnosis, has had his body frozen while medical science works to catch up with his malady. Elizabeth is hoping to stage an exhibition of her husband’s work so she can earn the money to keep him safely frozen. She offers Alejandro a deal: help with the project, and she’ll sponsor his work visa.
Torres’ script is bizarre to say the least, but amidst the gags and the pointedly silly dialogue he masterfully sneaks in a scathing commentary on the difficulties of being an immigrant whose only wish is to tap into the promise of the American dream. There’s seemingly no end to the bureaucratic red tape (and the related indignities), the observable functionality of which is polar opposite to its stated objectives. Torres’ direction, in conjunction with imaginative production design, literalizes the insecurities and pressures that Alejandro faces. There’s a repeating visual motif of an hourglass, sitting on a shelf amidst a sea of other hourglasses, each with the name of a hopeful immigrant affixed to it. The hourglasses slowly count down the days until the associated human is booted from the country. Another, which features Alejandro navigating a staircase of offices, each with nonsensical trap doors that could lead in any direction, represents the constant struggle of the climb for citizenship and legitimacy. Two steps up, three steps down. A lateral move to the right…two steps down. Two steps down? That’s actually four steps down…and half a step up, but only for a minute.
Alejandro is an interesting enough character, but his nature, which is passive and quiet by design, inadvertently allows the supporting characters to dominate the overall story and relegate Alejandro to second fiddle. While we are indeed rooting for the young man to find himself and find success, it’s Elizabeth who carries large portions of the film. Again, this is certainly intentional to have the mouthy, forecful Elizabeth and the mousey, not at all forceful Alejandro serve as mutual foils, but once can’t help but to wonder if some tweak of Problemista’s construction could level the playing field a bit and bring Alejandro’s story (the more interesting of the two) to the forefront. But really, when isn’t Tilda Swinton tearing up the screen? To outshine her is nigh impossible. She’s incredible here: A colorfully dressed tornado primed to destroy anything that gets in her way. That said, when these seemingly polar opposite characters start to bring out the best in one another, the film does pull Alejandro back into focus, even if his character isn’t of such delusional grandeur that his growth is as palpable as what we see in Elizabeth.
This is only a small mark against the movie, however, because Alejandro’s growth is based in a complicated notion: at what point does going along to get along become an exercise in self-sabotage? Conversely, at what point does being a self-advocate dip into being a…Karen? Problemista explores this notion while also paying attention to the intersectional factors that allow a rich white woman to get away with being so demanding, while also suggesting that a non-white immigrant just hunker down and do as he’s told.
Ultimately, Problemista navigates this dichotomy with a level of grace and understanding that one would not tend to expect from such an expressly silly comedy. Scattered as the overall story may be — it works better as individual vignettes than it does an overall throughline — it’s remarkable how informative it is while also functioning as a heck of a gut-busting comedy. It’s a fine line to walk, and Torres navigates it with aplomb and style. I, for one, came out of it with a much better understanding of how our immigration system works at a street level. The script manages to get into the granular details of the challenges Alejandro faces without overloading the film with so much detail that it weighs down the story. Problemista covertly depicts the ins and outs of the invisible systemic struggle that exists on the periphery of American society — a reality for so many people who must maintain said invisibility, lest they lose a fleeting chance to grab onto something bigger and find success here in the “land of opportunity.”
Directed by Julio Torres
Written by Julio Torres
Starring Julio Torres, Tilda Swinton, RZA, Isabella Rossellini
Rated R, 104 minutes
