Problemista

Exploring the immigrant experience and the elusive American Dream through an absurdist lens, Problemista goes beyond idiosyncrasies and a freewheeling comic vibe.

First and foremost a vehicle for comedian Julio Torres, who also makes his directorial debut, this surreal urban fairy tale eventually finds a heartfelt emotional center beneath the uneven surface silliness.

Torres plays Alejandro, an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador struggling to make ends meet in New York, while simultaneously seeking a work visa that will enable him to stay and realize his vision.

He becomes desperate amid a mountain of nightmarish obstacles, landing a job at a cryogenic lab where one of the frozen clients is an eccentric artist (RZA). That leads to a visit from his widow, Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton), whose misanthropic outbursts target everyone within earshot.

That first impression might be off-putting to almost everyone else, but after a mishap leads to his firing, Alejandro suddenly sees an opportunity.

Elizabeth is a wealthy art critic whose irascible nature seems to stem, in part from unresolved grief. Everything seems to draw her condescending ire, from simple human foibles to her own amusing aversion to technology.

Hiring Alejandro as her assistant of sorts seems mutually beneficial, if also a daily challenge to coexist, as they prepare for a somewhat misguided gallery show of her late husband’s bizarre egg paintings. Could testing Alejandro’s resolve lead to softening Elizabeth’s erratic edges?

The screenplay by Torres effectively modulates its tonal shifts, managing to balance whimsy and grounded authenticity without turning obvious in its satire or heavy-handed about its message.

Although its self-conscious weirdness is not for all tastes, the barrage of quirks and non sequiturs — including Isabella Rossellini’s omniscient narration — provides big laughs for those on the same offbeat wavelength.

As Alejandro, Torres can be more annoying than endearing. The chameleonic Swinton, with fire-red hair to match her disposition, is delightfully over-the-top. Neither is especially likeable, yet they somehow make an enchanting pair able to generate hard-earned sympathy.

More playful than profound, the film’s limitations in scope do not reflect a lack of ambition. Rather, Problemista suggests a bright future for Torres on both sides of the camera.

Rated R, 98 minutes.