Problemista
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.
- Released: 2023-03-13
- Runtime: 104 minutes
- Genre: Comedy
- Stars: Julio Torres, Greta Lee, Miles G. Jackson, RZA, Greta Titelman, Bardia Salimi, Isabella Rossellini, Larry Owens, Tilda Swinton, Laith Nakli, Roman Maldonado, Logan J. Alarcon-Poucel, James Scully, Jason Furlani, Paul Cooper, Ruba Thérèse Mansouri, Glo Tavarez, Jordan Mendoza, Eudora Peterson, Charlene Incarnate
- Director: Julio Torres
Comments
- dreamersunit - 23 May 2024
a magical delight
A wonderful quirky film full of magical realism that manages to strike a chord with all the people struggling one way or another and offering a hopeful and positiv message of perseverance against how impossible it sometimes feel to not just get ahead, but simply survive. A small masterpiece in the vain of good old indie films as they used to make them in the late 90s and early 00s with an exellent performance by Tilda with a especially great scene of her getting her way with a cablecar operator torwards the end and beautiful naturalistic cinematography Fredrik Wenzel. This film having a rating of 6.9 is a crime, don't sleep on Julio Torres magical first time outing as a feature film director. - HankCoT - 28 March 2024
Karen powers activate !
It's no easy task to present a character like Elizabeth, who is this neurotic and annoying yet somehow still likeable. But of course, if someone can take on that challenge it's Tilda Swinton, who has cemented herself as one of the best living actor, with a long list of great and distinctive roles. And it's not to say Problemista is dependent on her, as it showcases a variety of oddball scenarios, all filled with imaginative imagery that accentuate the protagonist point of view as well as a peculiar sense of humour. A style that can feel a bit clunky, but at the same time adds to the charm of this quirky story. A quest for prosperous endeavours, like a knight confronting a dragon hoarding its gold... but the dragon is a bunch of corporate greed, exhausting bureaucracy and Karens.
*SPOILERS*
This story is actually smarter than that, as when confronting the dragon an understanding emerged that you can't just slay it, you have to work with it, change it, call it out and see the individuals behind it.
