Problemista

Problemista is an extremely eccentric film that, in my opinion, lacks both a clear meaning and a coherent storyline. Instead of engaging plot development, the film leans heavily on excessive dialogue, over-the-top antics, and bizarre cinematography. The imagery in many scenes feels random and disconnected, making the experience more confusing than compelling. It honestly felt like this film was written on a whim. I’m not convinced the writers had a solid grasp on what they were trying to say—or how they wanted to say it. Casting the legendary Tilda Swinton in a role where she’s wearing a strange purple-pink wig just added to the chaos. Her performance wasn’t the issue—it was the direction and overall vision that seemed completely unfocused. I’m not sure why Swinton takes on some of these roles, though maybe she’s at a point in her career where she just does whatever interests her, regardless of how it’s received. That’s fair, but for me, this film was a mess. It lacked creativity, structure, and a sense of purpose. It felt like the director was just throwing things at the wall to see what would stick. This was a film I hadn’t even heard of until now, and after watching it, I kind of wish I hadn’t. It felt like a total waste of time.

It has several artistic elements, with change of interesting cameras. However, despite the speed of speech of actors and actresses, the film is very dragged.

such a life-like movie, reminded me of my experience

La película tiene tantas cosas destacables, como el uso del surrealismo, el buen elenco encabezado por una increíble Tilda Swinton y una trama con la que te podrías identificar, y aun así se me hizo aburrida ya que no pude conectar con Alejandro en ningún momento (entiendo que quisieran hacer a su personaje algo infantil pero esa forma de caminar nunca la entendí).

This movie has to be my number-one favorite Tilda Swinton performance ever!

This movie made "Kraven the hunter" look somewhat palatable. This movie has made me an all around worse person. This Movie was made to be a problem and if you enjoyed im sorry for your loss.

Problemista is a wild and surreal film. It's incredibly inventive, but also a bit threadbare and tiresome after a while. You really need to be on the same wavelength as this film or you might not get much out of it. I certainly struggled as times. It's the brainchild of comedian Julio Torres who not only stars in the film but he also wrote and directed it. He plays Alejandro, originally from El Salvador, but now living in Brooklyn, New York. He has dreams of working for a toy company but they have rejected his applications. Instead he ends up working for a cryogenic company where he becomes involves with a very strange couple. Bobby, an artist, and his eccentric wife Elizabeth. The plot after this is frankly deranged and very hard to describe. But it is certainly unique. I just found it hard to connect to the story, despite the efforts of Torres. There are some funny and surreal moments but overall I was a little disappointed.

Strange movie all around that addressed some interesting ideas and topics such as the difficulties of immigration, the exploitation of immigrants and the less fortunate, and learning to be assertive. However, the the movie itself is essentially devoid of humor and quirky in an off putting way. I usually find something to like about every film I see but I really can’t find anything positive to say about this film.

The title in Spanish meaning a problematic troublemaker probably refers to the tempestuous art critic (and likely everything in life too) unawarely becoming a mentor to a hapless toy designer from El Salvador beseeching a sponsorship for a work visa in US in this darkly fantastical high comedy about living precariously American dream inside the labyrinthine US immigration system.

What a way to debut! Julio Torres has carved his way as someone to look out for in avant-garde directing and writing. Problemista began wide in imagination and ingenuity, and ended the same way. Tilda Swinton must have put so much trust in Torres' vision notwithstanding their opposing stature in the industry, and it showed in her all-out performance. Can't say this is merely beginner's luck but it's as if I have known Julio Torres with enough time through his firstborn project to defend him as a creative and his real potential in the industry. Ladies and gentlemen, my second best film of 2024.