Problemista’s dreamlike experience explores the darkness of the American Dream

Last month, the film Problemista was released in theaters. It stars and is directed by Julio Torres. The story centers around a young man named Alejandro who, after losing his job in a cryogenics company, has one month to find another job and sponsor before his work visa in the United States expires and he is deported. 

While working in his previous job, he meets Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton), an eccentric art critic whose husband is currently cryogenically frozen. When she finds out about Alejandro’s situation, she offers to hire and sponsor him in return for his help with creating an art show, whose profits she would use to pay for her husband’s treatment. We follow Alejandro through an odyssey of ups and downs, Craigslist jobs and negative bank account balances, as he desperately tries to follow his dreams of becoming a toy designer while also making sure he is not deported.

Julio Torres’ directorial debut is filled with quirky, reflective moments that are both humorous and dreamlike. 

Problemista is avant-garde in comparison to many blockbuster movies we see in theaters today, taking risks visually and in the plot that both challenge the viewer and make the experience ever more enjoyable. The plot addresses often ignored aspects of immigration and audaciously takes charge in displaying the difficulties of the American Dream. 

Visual effects are widely used throughout the film to immerse the viewer in the world of Alejandro’s imagination; they are incorporated throughout the otherwise realistic story as a method of creating lighter moments in a deep and frustrating plot. For example, conversations on the phone are set in this alternate universe, allowing two characters to interact closely with one another when they’re actually far apart. In one scene, Alejandro, dressed in armor, braves a conversation with an evil Elizabeth as they converse in a dark cave, but in reality, Alejandro is outside a legal office and Elizabeth is in her room. 

Torres takes many creative liberties with this work, but these choices do not take attention away from the main story or cause confusion. Instead, we enter what feels like a fever dream. Every part is masterfully planned and built up throughout the story, giving the movie its tension and emotional depth. 

Though all parts of the film work together beautifully to create a fantastic experience, the score is an integral part of the experience of watching this film and is noticeably different from most other film scores. With a staccato beat and light rhythm, it sets itself apart as an eccentric and incredibly unique aspect and tool of this production. 

Tilda Swinton gives the performance of a lifetime as Elizabeth, a completely unhinged, chaotic and melodramatic character who faces the “loss” of her husband, who has been put in a cryo chamber to escape terminal illness. For every moment Swinton was on screen, there was laughter in the movie theater. She masterfully portrays Elizabeth, a completely unlikable character on the surface, as an incredibly complex and intense woman. Swinton does this by completely embracing the weirdness of the character and giving a performance that is raw and unapologetic. Elizabeth could have been portrayed and embraced as a completely unlikable character, but due to Swinton’s performance, Elizabeth jumps off the screen and becomes, arguably, the most notable character in the entire film. 

Yet, she does not overshadow Torres’ Alejandro, whose first scene make the viewers instantly fall in love with him. In this scene, he walks down a hallway, holding the straps of his backpack, merrily strolling along with a very curious walk. Torres becomes a master of body language in this film. Though other aspects of Alejandro contribute to his overall character, the balance between levity and hurry in Alejandro’s body language as he walks is an essential and memorable part of the film. It also continues and deepens our understanding of the internal panic that Alejandro himself faces as the clock on his life in the U.S. is running out. 

The stylistic aspects of Torres’ film also don’t take away from the realities immigrants face today, but enhance them instead. Alejandro’s constant reference to his imagination is just a means of escape from the panic he feels and the painful sacrifices he has made — and continues to make — throughout his journey. The uncertainty, fear and hopelessness grow more and more in Alejandro as the film progresses, making the journey toward one’s dreams seem draining and constantly out of reach. Though Problemista overall is fun, it also gives the viewer time to relate to and understand aspects of many people in this country who live in constant fear of losing their path toward their American Dream. 

This film is solid, and I mean it. From the beautiful, dynamic cinematography to the quick and witty editing, the parts of the film come together to create an experience that will leave you incredibly satisfied by the end. There is no hesitation in saying this is a great film. And, recently, that is not always a given in the film industry. So, do yourself a favor and get a ticket to Problemista, in theaters now.