Julio Torres has been presenting his comedy to the public for about eight years now, and I've been a fan of his work for almost all of that period. I was happy to see PROBLEMISTA in theaters even though I knew it would lack the spectacle and the crowd that usually drives me to the theater these days. About half an hour in, my inner voice was reasoning to myself, "Well, it's good you're here in the theater because if you were watching this at home, you'd have probably turned it off by now"-as though feeling obligated to finish something unpleasant all the way through to its bitter end is somehow a good thing. I watched the whole movie and I do not feel the wiser for it. Torres has recycled his earlier bits into something less alive, and his debut film makes me fear that he should stick to shortform comedy.
For someone only vaguely familiar with Torres's work, some of these bits will probably feel fresh, but I couldn't help feeling that most of the scenes were uninspired imitations of bits he did years ago. In some of his earliest standup, he talked about the desperation of turning to Craigslist to find income. He tells the same story here, but in a rushed manner that lacks the "stranger than fiction" relatability of his original material. On SNL, his "Wells for Boys" sketch found immense charm in a very specific portrayal of a daydreaming, sensitive boy; Problemista is bookended with what seems like a more autobiographical spin on this, but with a story and images that failed to connect. Torres's Instagram turns toys and small objects into full-fledged personalities that are loveably annoying, and his object-oriented HBO special MY FAVORITE SHAPES likewise is able to spin an entire surreal universe out of narrating stories about inanimate props. His character in Problemista is likewise supposed to possess this gift, but what we see in the film comes across as idiotic rather than wondrous; his running gag about Cabbage Patch kids with smartphones simply isn't very funny, and his idea for a Slinky that requires constant supervision likewise comes across as inane rather than innovative. The dead painter Bobby who is central to the film's plot is also meant (I think) to inspire audiences to see the world with the infinite imagination of a child, yet the egg portraits that comprise his life's work are likewise a dud, never coming across as anything more than a pretentious lack of talent.
Finally, there is the character of Tilda Swinton, who (I presume) is the Problemista of the title. Torres's SNL sketches about Melania Trump were a tour de force; a sketch in which she builds a loving friendship with a Pakistani Amazon call center employee played by Kumail Nanjiani is easily one of the best things ever aired by SNL. Cecily Strong's Melania was entitled, demanding, and dangerously powerful but also desperate, yearning, and akin to Dark Romantic poets like William Blake and Lord Byron in her gloomy and barbed lust for life. His Melania was a Gorgon, a lonely victim of her own monstrous power, as dangerous as she was in need of saving. She was a completely ridiculous object of satire but also an object of empathy, somehow oddly relatable, and-most importantly-endlessly fascinating. With Swinton's Elizabeth in this film, I think Torres attempts to capture the same loud dissonance but fails miserably. Swinton is one of my favorite actors, but every line she has in this film is delivered in the same obnoxious bray; she provides occasional glimmers of depth in her facial expressions, but the writing simply doesn't support it. I suspect Torres was too intimidated by her to give her any direction or demand a second take. The result is that her character is thoroughly repulsive, flimsily drawn, and unwatchably annoying. Her "squeaky wheel gets the grease" behavior serves as an inspiration for Torres's change in the climax of the film, but it's almost appalling that the screenplay thereby seems to be condoning her aggressiveness, ineptitude, and entitlement. Perhaps the point is that Torres's character, who has real problems and is facing true injustices, has learned to leverage the power of acting like a privileged one percenter, in a sense using evil for good... but I don't know. The story is too sloppy to communicate any clear message, and I can't imagine we're supposed to celebrate that the world has gained one more impolite loudmouth.
Overall, Torres's debut film suggests to me that he should stick to shorter formats. Not only has he recycled numerous bits that worked far better when he first conceived them years ago, but the film as a whole fails to gel into anything that feels complete or properly structured. There are certainly some good bits here. In Greta Lee's single scene, she gives a more powerful (and hilarious) performance than in the entirety of her starring role in last year's acclaimed PAST LIVES. James Scully, Larry Owens, and Megan Stalter also earn some solid laughs. But, in the words of my husband, this is simultaneously the most "half-baked yet overcooked" film you're likely to see in a while, where you'll walk away knowing more about why Torres hates FileMaker Pro than you will about the background story of the main antagonist, and where multiple customer service calls are presented in their entirety whereas the exhibition that the film climactically builds to doesn't get any screentime at all.
I will continue to enjoy Julio Torres's comedy, and I hope he is given a chance to direct a second film that presents us something new and fresh from his lovely imagination. I cannot at all recommend this strange, slapdash, and insufferable film, however.
For someone only vaguely familiar with Torres's work, some of these bits will probably feel fresh, but I couldn't help feeling that most of the scenes were uninspired imitations of bits he did years ago. In some of his earliest standup, he talked about the desperation of turning to Craigslist to find income. He tells the same story here, but in a rushed manner that lacks the "stranger than fiction" relatability of his original material. On SNL, his "Wells for Boys" sketch found immense charm in a very specific portrayal of a daydreaming, sensitive boy; Problemista is bookended with what seems like a more autobiographical spin on this, but with a story and images that failed to connect. Torres's Instagram turns toys and small objects into full-fledged personalities that are loveably annoying, and his object-oriented HBO special MY FAVORITE SHAPES likewise is able to spin an entire surreal universe out of narrating stories about inanimate props. His character in Problemista is likewise supposed to possess this gift, but what we see in the film comes across as idiotic rather than wondrous; his running gag about Cabbage Patch kids with smartphones simply isn't very funny, and his idea for a Slinky that requires constant supervision likewise comes across as inane rather than innovative. The dead painter Bobby who is central to the film's plot is also meant (I think) to inspire audiences to see the world with the infinite imagination of a child, yet the egg portraits that comprise his life's work are likewise a dud, never coming across as anything more than a pretentious lack of talent.
Finally, there is the character of Tilda Swinton, who (I presume) is the Problemista of the title. Torres's SNL sketches about Melania Trump were a tour de force; a sketch in which she builds a loving friendship with a Pakistani Amazon call center employee played by Kumail Nanjiani is easily one of the best things ever aired by SNL. Cecily Strong's Melania was entitled, demanding, and dangerously powerful but also desperate, yearning, and akin to Dark Romantic poets like William Blake and Lord Byron in her gloomy and barbed lust for life. His Melania was a Gorgon, a lonely victim of her own monstrous power, as dangerous as she was in need of saving. She was a completely ridiculous object of satire but also an object of empathy, somehow oddly relatable, and-most importantly-endlessly fascinating. With Swinton's Elizabeth in this film, I think Torres attempts to capture the same loud dissonance but fails miserably. Swinton is one of my favorite actors, but every line she has in this film is delivered in the same obnoxious bray; she provides occasional glimmers of depth in her facial expressions, but the writing simply doesn't support it. I suspect Torres was too intimidated by her to give her any direction or demand a second take. The result is that her character is thoroughly repulsive, flimsily drawn, and unwatchably annoying. Her "squeaky wheel gets the grease" behavior serves as an inspiration for Torres's change in the climax of the film, but it's almost appalling that the screenplay thereby seems to be condoning her aggressiveness, ineptitude, and entitlement. Perhaps the point is that Torres's character, who has real problems and is facing true injustices, has learned to leverage the power of acting like a privileged one percenter, in a sense using evil for good... but I don't know. The story is too sloppy to communicate any clear message, and I can't imagine we're supposed to celebrate that the world has gained one more impolite loudmouth.
Overall, Torres's debut film suggests to me that he should stick to shorter formats. Not only has he recycled numerous bits that worked far better when he first conceived them years ago, but the film as a whole fails to gel into anything that feels complete or properly structured. There are certainly some good bits here. In Greta Lee's single scene, she gives a more powerful (and hilarious) performance than in the entirety of her starring role in last year's acclaimed PAST LIVES. James Scully, Larry Owens, and Megan Stalter also earn some solid laughs. But, in the words of my husband, this is simultaneously the most "half-baked yet overcooked" film you're likely to see in a while, where you'll walk away knowing more about why Torres hates FileMaker Pro than you will about the background story of the main antagonist, and where multiple customer service calls are presented in their entirety whereas the exhibition that the film climactically builds to doesn't get any screentime at all.
I will continue to enjoy Julio Torres's comedy, and I hope he is given a chance to direct a second film that presents us something new and fresh from his lovely imagination. I cannot at all recommend this strange, slapdash, and insufferable film, however.