Image courtesy of A24.
Alejandro wants to make toys. He has come from El Salvador to the United States to get a job at Hasbro, but, as usually happens, one’s dream does not always match one’s results.
Writer and director Julio Torres also stars in this tumultuously whimsical film, “Problemista,” which, though with faults, is pretty much a guarantee to delight and confuse.
In order to keep his green card until Hasbro responds to his job application, “Ale” gets a job at FreezeCorp, a company that puts people into a cryogenic sleep until they can, one day, figure out a way to wake them up. There, he meets our title character, Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton), a fussy, high-strung art dealer whose late husband, Bobby (RZA), painted eggs. Now, Bobby is in a state-of-the-art freezer, and Elizabeth must sell his art collection to pay for FreezeCorp’s services, making her even more tense than she already is.
Ale meets Elizabeth shortly before being fired from FreezeCorp, and, in need of someone to sponsor him so he can remain in the country patiently awaiting Hasbro’s call, he accepts Elizabeth’s suggestion that he freelance with her. And so the staggeringly chaotic journey begins.
Both Torres and Swinton bring astounding energy to their characters—the chemistry between the two is what makes the film work so well. Ale’s quiet nature and quirky gait make him a likable protagonist, and maybe it is that calm that reins in the storm. Somehow, even the most stress-inducing scenes with Elizabeth will endear her to the audience. It probably also helps that those moments of terrorizing the waiter or chastising employees are sandwiched between scenes of an entirely different version of crazy—Ale’s surrealistic dramatizations of his attempts to find under-the-table work on Craigslist (hilariously enough, Craigslist is played by a person, Larry Owens).
The story has its weak points—its ending, unfortunately, being one of them. Even Elizabeth’s impulsivity cannot make this reviewer satisfied by how clumsily the story tied its last knot. And the pacing can be too brisk at times, leaving a whirlwind to sift through as Ale and Elizabeth jump to the next task at hand. But “Problemista” has an overall charming effect, just like the friendship that takes the spotlight.
“Problemista” will play at Midtown Cinema this March. Don’t miss your chance, as it will probably be a quick run.
Midtown Cinema is located at 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midtowncinema.com.
March Events
At Midtown Cinema
First-Run Film Openings
“Love Lies Bleeding”
“The Monk and the Gun”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Io Capitano”
3rd in the Burg Movie Night
“Hundreds of Beavers” (2024)
Friday, March 15 at 9:30 p.m.
Down in Front! comedy riffing
“Birdemic: Shock and Terror” (2010)
Friday, March 29 at 9:30ish
If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!
