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New Movie "Problemista": Man Makes Learning Toys
February 27th, 2024
In the film "Problemista," the protagonist Alejandro, a dreamy, delicate Salvadoran immigrant portrayed by Julio Torres, hopes to secure a job with the toy company Hasbro to prolong his stay in New York. His quest to achieve this objective leads him into a peculiar partnership with Elizabeth, a tempestuous widow portrayed by Tilda Swinton. Elizabeth must sell a series of unpopular paintings to keep her cryogenically frozen husband preserved, requiring Alejandro's assistance with technology and legwork. This unlikely duo forms a bond that transcends mere transactions; Elizabeth's assertiveness complements Alejandro's tranquility and imagination.
Directed by Julio Torres, who also wrote and starred in the film, "Problemista" immerses the audience in a surreal narrative that's reminiscent of the ecstatic chaos present in "Everything Everywhere All at Once." It resists the overly whimsical styling often found in Wes Anderson films. Torres imbues the film with his unique comedic flair, highlighting the absurdities of modern life, especially the Kafkaesque intricacies faced by immigrants dealing with bureaucracy and the often nonsensical processes of banks.
The film, released by A24, employs humor to explore broader themes such as the universal desire for recognition, the soul-crushing nature of contemporary institutions, and the futile attempts to escape mortality and flawed technology. Torres' background as a comedian and TV writer, including his work on "Saturday Night Live" and the HBO sitcom "Los Espookys," shines through in the film's offbeat humor and its hyperbolic portrayal of technology and customer service.
"Problemista" offers a mix of rich and absurd moments, from a depiction of a sinister Craigslist encounter to a medieval fantasy battle representing a tense phone call. It promises to stand out as a significant directorial debut for Julio Torres, signaling the beginning of his journey in film. The movie, acclaimed for its originality, carries an R rating for sexual content and language.
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💭 Discussion Questions
1
. How does 'Problemista' utilize humor to address and reflect on broader societal themes, according to the article?2
. In what ways does the protagonist's immigration status deepen the narrative of 'Problemista'?3
. Considering Julio Torres's background in comedy and television, how might his experiences influence the comedic and stylistic elements of 'Problemista'?📖 Vocabulary
🌐 Cultural context
The film was produced in the U.S., where immigration, diversity, and the "American Dream" are prevailing themes. Hasbro is a well-known U.S. toy company. References to Kafka and absurdity may allude to complex bureaucracy, while A24 is recognized for its artsy, independent films. "Saturday Night Live" is a famous American sketch comedy show.
🧠 Further reading
Golden Door (film)
Golden Door, a drama set in the early 20th century, follows the journey of the Mancuso family from Sicily to New York City. Directed by Emanuele Crialese, the film begins in the rustic landscape of Sicily and transitions across the Atlantic, concluding on American soil. Tragically, actor Vincent Schiavelli passed away during production, which led to his role being diminished to a supporting character.
Upon its release, the film garnered attention at the Venice Film Festival on September 8, 2006, where it received a host of nominations and awards, securing six victories. Critics extolled the director’s use of auditory and visual elements, though some noted an omission of expected symbols from the era, such as the Statue of Liberty. The movie also benefitted from the promotional support of renowned director Martin Scorsese, who introduced it at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. Despite being Italy’s submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 79th Academy Awards, it did not achieve a nomination.
The narrative unveils the impoverished Mancuso family, helmed by their widowed patriarch Salvatore and his belief in a prophetic vision of America shown through vibrant postcards, which promise an idyllic land of prosperity. Motivated by images of oversized vegetables and other symbols of abundance, Salvatore decides to embark on this voyage with his sons and his mother Fortunata, a local folk healer steeped in mysticism. Their experiences during the voyage vividly illustrate the vast gulf between their hopes and the harsh realities of immigration.
Nonlinear narrative
A narrative that does not follow a straightforward, chronological progression of events is known as a nonlinear narrative. This technique involves presenting the story in a format that might mix up the timeline, have multiple plotlines running concurrently, or feature stories within stories. It's a method often found in digital literature, especially within the realm of hypertext fiction, and has long-standing roots in printed and other forms of sequential media.
In literature, the practice of starting a story in the thick of the action, known as in medias res, dates back to ancient times, as seen in Homer's "Iliad". This method, along with telling a story through flashbacks, appears in the Indian Mahabharata as well as some medieval Arabian Nights tales, like "The City of Brass" and "The Three Apples". The old English poem "Beowulf" is another example, as it jumps across different events in the protagonist's life.
The end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century saw modernist writers like Joseph Conrad, Virginia Woolf, Ford Madox Ford, Marcel Proust, and William Faulkner playing with the concept of time in their storytelling, breaking away from the linear narrative. Notable examples of nonlinear novels include Laurence Sterne's "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman", Thomas Carlyle's "Sartor Resartus", Ford's "The Good Soldier", Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury", Sadeq Hedayat's "The Blind Owl", James Joyce's "Ulysses" and "Finnegans Wake", Flann O'Brien's "At Swim-Two-Birds", Juan Rulfo's "Pedro Páramo", William S. Burroughs' "Naked Lunch", and Joseph Heller's "Catch-22", among others. These works showcase the diverse and creative ways nonlinear narratives can be employed
Cinema of Italy
Italian cinema, known as cinema italiano, is a revered film tradition from Italy, and native directors have significantly influenced the art of filmmaking. Italy is considered one of the origins of art cinema, where the aesthetic quality of movies has played a pivotal role in the development of the nation's cinematic history. As of 2018, Italy's contribution to film has been globally recognized, with Italian movies winning 14 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, the highest number of wins by any country in that category. Additionally, Italian films have been awarded 12 Palmes d'Or, one Academy Award for Best Picture, and numerous Golden Lions and Golden Bears.
The inception of Italian cinema traces back to shortly after the Lumière brothers pioneered film showings. The Italian film industry credits Vittorio Calcina, a colleague of the Lumières, as the first director from Italy, known for filming Pope Leo XIII in 1896. The nascent film industry initially found its footing in the major urban areas of Italy where early movie attempts garnered immense public interest, which in turn prompted more production and laid the groundwork for a robust film industry.
During the silent film era in the early 20th century, the Italian silver screen bloomed, establishing a host of national stars. This period witnessed the creation of epic movies inspired by literature or theatre, such as "Otello" (1906), "The Last Days of Pompeii" (1908), "L'Inferno" (1911), "Quo Vadis" (1913), and "Cabiria" (1914). Italy also gave birth to the oldest European avant-garde film movement, known as Italian futurism, in the late 1910s.
Following a downturn in the 1920s, the arrival of sound films in the 1930s breathed new life into the Italian film industry. The era highlighted a beloved genre called Telefoni Bianchi, characterized by its comedies