Step aside, King Kong and Godzilla, the REAL terrifying titan currently roaring in theaters is Tilda Swinton in “Problemista” (written, directed, and co-starring Julio Torres). Tilda plays Elizabeth, an art critic who refuses to ever take no for an answer. She screams and pushes back at anyone she feels is disrespecting her and not doing what she wants. With long tendrils of curly magenta hair and the bitchiest resting bitch face, Elizabeth is like a modern version of Medusa.
The only person she ever let her guard down for was Bobby (RZA), a struggling artist who she fell in love with and who also decided to put himself in cryogenic freeze to be awakened in the far future, hoping his art would be more appreciated then and leaving Elizabeth alone to catalog his massive body of work. Enter Alejandro (Julio Torres), a young immigrant from El Salvador now living in New York who’s desperate to find a job and a sponsor within 30 days so he can stay in the USA. Fate lends a hand as he meets Elizabeth and what follows is a co-dependent relationship, with abusive Elizabeth needing someone to help her archive and catalog Bobby’s works while timid Alejandro needs to keep the job to stay in the country.
Not Quite a Comedy
I’m not sure what type of film Torres was trying to do. It’s labeled a comedy but I found it more depressing than funny. Despite Elizabeth’s fury and vigor, it’s obvious she’s incredibly lonely. She quietly pines for Bobby and he’s locked away in a cryogenic tube, leaving her alone to fend for herself. In those rare moments when someone shows her kindness, politeness or tenderness, she’s stunned by it and doesn’t know quite what to do.
During one of the few genuinely funny scenes in the film, a waiter at a deli Elizabeth and Alejandro are dining at bends over backwards to accommodate her with a pleasant smile and courtesy when she rages that she didn’t enjoy her dish. In response, Elizabeth can only glare at him with her mouth open in shock, as if her brain was short-circuiting. Tilda, always the consummate actress, nails the moment perfectly and hilariously.
Alejandro is an equally sad character. Having lived a magical life in El Salvador with his loving mother, he dreams of being a toy inventor but finds himself struggling to survive in New York, watching the days tick by ever closer to him being deported and barely able to afford the tiny room he lives in.
Swinton Brings Too Much Star Power
Julio Torres in a scene from “Problemista.” (Photo: A24).
Director Torres injects Michel Gondry-style whimsical moments throughout the film that are a welcome respite from Elizabeth’s relentless raging. Both El Salvador and New York are portrayed as shadowy magical kingdoms, lending a dark fantasy atmosphere to the film.
However, despite Tilda’s amazing performance, I feel the film would have been better had it focused more on Alejandro than Elizabeth. Alejandro not only struggles with staying in the country, he also struggles with his stoner roommates and his sexuality. Had the film devoted more screen time showing him learning about the world and himself, it would have been a truly magical experience.
“Problemista” is currently in theaters on a limited run and will be available on VOD starting April 19th.
