Rating: 
Summary: Honest and real, but sorry, it's just plain boring
Review: I love small, quiet, subtle movies. I root for independent films. I'm sick of Hollywood blockbusters about comic book action heroes that have nothing remotely in common with anything resembling real life. I've been a fan of Miramax since they began. I really liked "Whale Rider." I'm a huge fan of foreign movies like "Cinema Paradiso," "Raise the Red Lantern," "The Bicycle Thief," "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown," "Mediterraneo" and countless others. I think much (if not most) of what Hollywood perpetrates these days is pure trash. Well, despite all that, despite the fact that I really wanted to like this movie, I'm sorry, even though this is honest storytelling, honestly, the story isn't worth telling. I watched and yawned, occasionally chuckled, but mostly I didn't care at all about what happened to Victor Vargas or any of those around him. Perhaps that says something about me as a human being. Maybe I'm too comfortable living in the suburbs, going to the malls, watching foreign films in the comfort of my living room, sending my kids off to mostly white schools and soccer camps. Whatever. No matter what you might think about me, though, it doesn't change the fact that this movie, despite what the critics will tell you -- critics who I generally agree with -- Victor Vargas, the character and the movie, are just plain boring. Everyday life isn't exciting. That's why we go to the movies. That's why we read books. That's why we go to the theater, the opera, concerts, sporting events. That's why we change jobs, take vacations, take up hobbies, have affairs, go back to school and leave our spouses and families in search of something we can't put our fingers on. Because real life just isn't that interesting, at least not all the time. Certainly, it doesn't always make for interesting movies. "Raising Victor Vargas" is case in point. It proves that art is not life. Art is a heightening of life. I can watch the grass grow, the paint peal, the bird take flight, the young couple hold hands, the addict get high and the cop make his bust whenever I feel like it. And if I want to watch a movie about the problems of youth growing up in New York or anywhere else in America, I'll find a worthy documentary. But art should make any of those events unusual and interesting, not ordinary and boring. Art needs an audience after all. Don't waste your time on Victor Vargas; it's real, it has a message, it's well acted, well directed, but it's definitely not a story that needed telling. And it's not art. It's just plain boring.
Rating: 
Summary: GREAT movie - don't miss it!
Review: I love this movie. On many levels, it is a story of a group of characters growing and learning from their actions. Each person in the film is given a chance to overcome their personal limitations. Victor grows up from a street smart kid to someone who finally understands how to throw away his machismo. Juicy-Judy is given the chance to finally admit that she likes a boy and that she is willing to take a chance on him. And Grandma finally learns how to let go of the children that she is preventing from growing up.When you watch this film, there is a genuine feeling of peering into the lives of ordinary people in comical yet real situations- this is because the director has found a way to let the real personalities of the individuals come across even though they many of the lines are scripted. The street-smart dialogue is merely there so that you can understand the transitions that these characters go through by the end of the film - you are supposed to see how they mature - so don't be put off by the more vulgar moments of this film - it's worth it. This is great directing, and great casting for film that should be seen by more people than it did. I saw this in the theater and I have been turning people onto this movie whenever I can. Bravo!
Rating: 
Summary: FANTASTIC COMING-OF-AGE DRAMA!!!
Review: I REALLY ENJOYED THIS MOVIE.
IT WAS FUNNY, BUT WITHOUT BEING DISGUSTING.
I FELT THAT IT ACCURATELY DEPICTED WHAT GROWING UP IS LIKE.
IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE BEST FILMS THAT HAS BEEN RELEASED THIS YEAR.
THE DVD DOES NOT HAVE A THEATRICAL TRAILER, NOR ANY OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES, HOWEVER THIS MOVIE DESERVES TO BE RECOGNIZED.
THE ACTING WAS FANTASTIC AND THE STORY WAS BOTH HUMOROUS AND SERIOUS AT THE SAME TIME.
THIS IS GREAT ENTERTAINMENT!!! SEE IT SOON!!!
Rating:
Summary: Watch it with your teen
Review: I rented and watched this movie with my 18 year old daughter. When it was over, she said that it was the most realistic movie depiction she had ever seen of teenagers. She said she knew someone who was just like each of one the characters. We were both sorry when the movie ended, because we didn't even feel like we were watching a movie. It felt more like we were watching, unobserved, friends and family just living their lives. It didn't feel like there was a script or direction or anything associated with a movie. It was more like someone just had cameras running capturing the lives of these characters. At the same time there definitely was a story being told, and it moved at a crisp pace. Everyone in this film was amazingly real and I felt touched by each one of them. I also felt like I could relate to each of them, and that's amazing because I haven't been a teenager in over 20 years. I especially enjoyed watching this movie with my teenager, and we ended up seeing it again the next day. If you have teens at home, this is a good film to watch with them and discuss. I must say that as a 40-something year old, I was a little bothered by how sexually active the teens in this film were, but apparently that too is today's reality. Although this film is set in an urban latino neighborhood, I found that I really didn't think much about the characters' ethnicity or culture or economic status while I was watching the movie. This really is a story about family, friends and growing up. The setting maybe gives the film some flavor and texture, but the story is universal.
Rating:
Summary: Five Feet High and a little disappointing
Review: I saw the film this is a sequel to, "Three Feet High and Rising" about two years ago, and I think it it is most sincere, moving portrayal of a teenage romance I've ever seen. For anyone who wondered if having a camera, fabulous actors, and a moving story was enough... that film proved it. I lived in New York for many years, had some similar romances (although not really in the same environment) and the film really captured something.
Now we have this feature-length version of the same type of material. This film is also exceedingly well made, full of emotion, and captivating. Victor's relationships are all adequately developed, it explores more manifestations of love, and over a longer period of time, but has missed out on the intimacy of the original short film. This is still a moving piece of work, but I didn't walk away feeling blown away. Maybe that's the curse of shooting such an incredible film beforehand.
The other thing I would say is that I would have enjoyed some of the scenes more if the younger brother had been developed into a substantial character, and the grandmother hadn't been quite as monomaniacal. It seemed a bit too four-walled (is that the right terminology?) at times and lackluster. This is a powerful, intimate style of filmaking and I think that given the strength of these performances the director may have left the camera on a little too long at times, and sacrificed some pacing.
Still, an excellent film, in my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Feel like you know them
Review: I saw this in theatre and loved it so much that I had to get the DVD to watch again.
The acting is so natural and you almost think that it's a documentary or something. These are everyday people that you see around you all the time.
The actors are not amatures like some reviewers wrote. They are highly skilled impovisers. As the movie was done mostly in improvisation manner.
Sometimes you can't really hear what they say because of it. But that's street talking, so get over it or turn on the subtitle.
Anyway, on the SECOND veiwing, I unexpectedly started crying! That's where Judy opens up to Victor.
This movie is genuinely innosent, and I wish it was my story :)
Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: I watched this movie and found it enjoyable. It is about a Domincan family living in New York City. It presents a different face to poverty: Victor Vargas, sister and brother, live with their grandmother in poverty, and out of discomforts of poverty, Victor looks for some comfort: love, feelings, peace.
Victor meets a beautiful young lady, played by Judy Marte, and she has never had a boyfriend, so her initially defenses are to protect herself from negative influences. It is her coping strategy to be tough; it is also her personal way of survival in a tough neighborhood.
Victor's grandmother is trying to raise up her grandchildren the only way she knows: with respect, tranquility, morals, religious connection to church and God. Since the povery trap has not given her much else to survive on.
The youths in this movie, Victor and Judy, Judy's friend and her boyfriend, siblings, all, are going through changes: physical, emotional, psychological. They are being true to themselves and are also trying to do what is right, although they have limited understanding of what is in principle right and wrong. They are children..............!
There were a few scenes in which offensive language was used in disturbing ways to degrade Judy which should have not been presented, but this is the world in which they live.
I would definitely recommend this movie to a wider audience. It was worth the purchase and I am sure I will revisit this movie again.
Rating:
Summary: lots of good 'little' stuff
Review: I'm sorry some reviewers found this movie boring. Perhaps they were looking for big exciting things to happen. To those folks, I recommend any one of the hundreds of big movies so prevalent today. RVV is absolutely filled to the brim with little bits played so naturally that they obviously get by the less observant viewers. Cheers to the excellent cast.
Rating: 
Summary: Victor, a tenacious romantic...
Review: In the midst of the summer heat on the Lower East Side, Victor Vargas is raised together with his younger brother, Nino, and sister, Vicki, by his old-fashioned and superstitious grandmother. Victor is in the middle of discovering the secret of love with the neighbor "Fat-Donna", however, he is interrupted by his best friend, Harold. Harold's disruption of Victor's sexual discovery catches Vicki's interest and Vicki begins to spread the rumor of Victor's "conquest". This rumor disrupts Victor's attempt to gain the local girl Judy's interest, since she is not interested in phony and dense guys. However, Victor is a tenacious romantic that does not stop for this set back planned by his sister, and he continues to pursue Judy. Victor's grandmother is also aware of Victor's sexual curiosity, and she is afraid that this will affect the rest of the family. These different plots boil up to a brew that offers an interesting story as Victor is coming of age and faces new challenges. This results in a decent cinematic experience as some of the situations on the screen seems awkward, yet real.
Rating:
Summary: A STORY ABOUT LOVE AND NEW YORK CITY
Review: It is hard to believe that what you see on the screen is New York city.Maybe because what we know so far about Lower East side is gangs shootings killings and detectives trying to catch the drag dealer.But the 26 year old Peter Sollett choosed this very place to set up a true love story and a very little picture of the everyday life there.Meeting Victor Vargas and the members of his family his sister brother and grandmother introduced one by one with unique way you will find yourself somehow involved into this story.It is the age of the first heartbeats that no one can ever forget getting louder and louder during the movie.Even the whole story is around old buildings dirty streets and the heros allmost never change clothes what you see is like a video clip.
You will not lose your time watching this movie maybe you will wonder if you left behind a very important part of yourself
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