4.5 stars out of 5
I first heard of Julio Torres as an SNL writer, but it was with the series Los Espookys that I truly appreciated his unique, surreal, gentle brand of comic ingenuity. MAX’s penny-pinching new ownership canceled The Spookies after two seasons, but the very bright side is this motion picture written and directed by — and starring — Julio Torres.
As Los Espookys had Fred Armisen to garner more attention, Problemista co-stars the quirkily wonderful Tilda Swinton who will hopefully draw in a few more ticket buyers. The pretty straightforward plot is loosely based on Torres’s own life: Alejandro (Torres) emigrates from El Salvador to New York with dreams of being a toy designer. First, though, he needs a work visa. Alejandro interns for art-world dame Elizabeth (Swinton) who, if pleased with his efforts, will sign off as his visa sponsor.
Throughout the story, Torres points out injustices and catch-22s in the system. For example, an immigrant needs to pay to apply for a work visa — but you’re not allowed to be paid for work until you have the visa. He also shines a spotlight on forgotten corners of modern life, such as FileMaker Pro and a hilarious personification of craigslist.
Interestingly, in a feature-length debut from an SNL vet, Torres doesn’t load up the movie with comedy cameos. Instead we get RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan doing a very nice job as Elizabeth’s late ex, a would-be art star. And linking Torres’s film to Lynch, Letterman, and cinematic history, there’s the sublime choice of Isabella Rossellini as the narrator.
Though we get touches of Torres’s offbeat magical realism, this is ultimately a fairly by-the-book, follow-your-dreams tale on a small scale. I rounded up my rating to 4 stars based on a certain sweetness permeating the film, and Torres’s brilliant potential to sit among Michel Gondry/Spike Jonze/Charlie Kaufman/etc. when he allows his imagination to explode all over the screen. And then, Problemista’s final chapter fell together so perfectly that I awarded another half star, and I was left with happy tears in my eyes.
Jack Silbert, curator