Occasionally I will watch movies (ones I have low expectations for but still want to see) over the course of about 2-3 days while I eat lunch/dinner. This system normally doesn’t work well because you break up the movie and it’s not one whole experience, but with some movies, they become more digestible that way. Problemista is a movie that I probably would have given up on if I hadn’t consumed it this way.
**this review contains spoilers for Problemista
Credit: A24 (2023)
Debuting a director
A directorial debut means a lot of things, but for Problemista I think it means showing off ideas. The plot of the movie revolves around one man (Alejandro, played by Julio Torres) trying to get a job at Hasbro to come up with new toy ideas. If that plot idea isn’t enough to be different, his approaches to almost everything in the movie takes it into a whole other level. While on Craigslist, he talks to a man whispering about job opportunities in a purple cosmic junk pile. While confronting challenges, he is in a cave fighting them in armor. This movie takes the imagination of the character (and seemingly the director) and puts it on camera. The point of the movie seemed to be “be bold and unequivocally yourself, know what you want, and do whatever you have to do to get it.” Maybe that was the director’s moto to get this movie made. Of the directorial debuts I have seen this year, it stands out nicely. All debuts are personal, or at least that’s all I’ve watched in the last several years. Something that makes this one stand out though is its commitment to being strange and in your face. It was memorable for good reasons, and I now want to keep my eye out for the next Julio Torres movie.
Credit: A24 (2023)
Coleman, this normally isn’t your cup of tea
There is literally no other reason I wanted to watch this other than the fact that Tilda Swinton is in it. On the surface I brushed off this movie as another A24 debut that had lots of thought but maybe not the best follow through. Once I watched it though, I was happy Tilda drew me in. She plays such an interesting character. A washed-up art critic who still views herself as a high society snob, making her problems everyone else’s. She is like a Karen in almost every way. She is always yelling at someone for reasons they can’t help, and the only person who really seems to care for her is Alejandro. Of course, Tilda does a great job. I have never seen her do anything poorly, but this was something really different and I think it showed her acing chops in a way most people don’t look for. When you think of “good acting” you often think of academy awards for women who look into their reflections and cry uncontrollably over something. I think that good acting means giving it your all to any role, even the weird and crazy ones. Tilda gave a performance that outmatched anyone in this movie, but she also helped make the movie feel less like a backyard project and more like a real production.
Credit: A24 (2023)
Recommending this?
Perhaps. I know, I said this was a good movie and yet I’m not fully endorsing. This movie is good not great. If you are looking for a little bit of fun funky and weird, yea maybe give it a try. This is a cup of tea that can be drunk easily but can also be misunderstood in digestion.
Rating: 77/100
Classification: Film