One of my all time favorites.

Captivating movie !

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

This movie wasn't bad it had it's moments that dragged you in like the unchaining of the phone near the end of the movie, which could symbolize the family being unchained from their grandmother's shekels which had the movie go on to do scenes that didn't truly represented teens. For instance when they had victor constantly licking his lips because the writer of the movie thinks that's how teenage boys act.

The opening shots of Raising Victor Vargas plant us behind the eyes of a female, a female who is fulfilling the role of another male's erotic affection, as the camera itself focuses square onto his expression. For a coming of age film, which revolves around a young and predominantly English speaking male, to begin in such a manner alludes to a later intelligence the film will go on to exhibit; its pulling of a one hundred and eighty on its audience under these terms of what's usual or might be expected under this premise to a scene intriguing. Ultimately, the audience is made to suffer the indignities of male longing via being placed behind a female's point of view and made to sit through what, to some, has plagued cinema since the latter days of Hollywood's classical era. It's a refreshing instance of a film turning things on its head, of mixing things up and trying to do something renowned or familiar in an unrenowned or unfamiliar way. To this extent, the opening captures the spirit of this determined film making effort, specifically in its regard to its characters and how it goes about depicting familiar material.The film is an independent American piece written and directed by Peter Sollett, a film shot on location across summer weeks in the American city of New York and preoccupied with depicting an array of characters in a Hispanic quarter of said city. At its heart, it is about a maturing process; a film playing out in a sweltering urban locale wherein the smart play appears to be to wrap the sofa so much is the desire to avoid those who often inhabit it from smelling out the apartment too much. It depicts the young man who filled the frame during that opening shot, and he is Victor Rasuk's titular Victor Vargas – someone who lives with a sister, brother and their grandmother in an apartment block but of whom also has a close circle of friends and acquaintances outside of this family unit.Vargas likes girls. He likes the idea of girls and the idea of people knowing he has the idea of liking girls – in spite of this, he remains on the outside looking in at them in regards to truthfully knowing any of them. You might say that it is during this opening scene that the confusion and scattergun nature of Victor's life in terms of the opposite sex is epitomised, for Victor inhabits the bedroom of a young female neighbour whom nobody thinks it attractive – fleeing in a panic when word rapidly gets out once he is spotted. So desperate is he for love and affection and all the things which come with possessing a girlfriend, that Victor had to 'sink' to a level that saw him go after this neighbour: something which threatens his masculinity with a two-pronged attack, in as much he didn't get the girl and now must live in ignominy at the fact going for a girl most could have was the easy, desperate option.A form of what he sees as redemption arrives in Judy Gonzalez (Marte), the local girl who ticks all the right boxes in terms of what the young male population are looking for, and a girl who's so aware of what her own looks encompass in terms of male encroachment that she is a staunch rejecter of most advances. "Who needs men, right?" she tells a close friend. She is, of course, the object of Victor's gaze at the local communal swimming pool; an unfortunate spot which will attract all the kids during this hot season but force them into wearing not very much as they attempt to battle the heat. Her response, as is with most men after having been the victim of a proverbial sizing up, is a resounding "No." Away from the central strand is Victor's brother, Nino - played by Rasuk's real-life younger brother Silvestre. Nino looks up to his brother's womanising ways, but epitomises a more righteous incarnation of the male gender: a boy on the brink of a certain stage in life who could sway into the fatuous, womanising ways of Victor or down a more righteous path. At the moment, he attends church and enjoys playing the piano – this is not only Victor's tale of how he can score Judy running in sync with what he learns along the way, but it is tells a story of how positive influence in this regard may change the dynamic of a younger head who idolises someone close to them.The film comes to depict Victor's changing attitudes; a character who comes a long way from inhabiting the bedroom of the local desperado romantic, because he just doesn't care with whom he is laid, and into someone who genuinely comes to like a certain someone else through naturalistic processes. It is a film challenging the nonsense of how Latino characters are often depicted as possessing more photogenic qualities than others, while there is a fascinating dynamic at the homestead involving his grandmother, whose traditional thoughts on all this stuff clashes vehemently with the early 21st Century, New York City based sexual politics. As far as American, English language films that go about depicting young love; sexuality and the like, Raising Victor Vargas hits the target.

This is an exceptionally good movie. What it does so clearly and well is to display the relationship between teenagers' romantic interests and their social status in the larger teenage society around them. The teenagers in this movie are all trying to establish a respectable place for themselves among their peers and having a girlfriend/boyfriend is a big part of that. The real problem is how to manage these things without becoming an egoistic monster. So Victor pursues Judy to salvage his reputation as a successful ladies' man and preserve the admiration of his friends and his younger brother. Judy, who is unusually inexperienced despite her hot looks, accepts Victor to avoid the crass sexual attentions of the neighborhood boys. But this isn't even half the story. Victor also has real respect for women, although he has to hide this to appear macho. Judy similarly likes boys but has to hide that, even from herself, in order to preserve her self-respect. Victor likes Judy because she treats him with a brutal honesty (despite her lie about already having a man); Judy likes Victor because he defers to her—he pursues her in his clumsy adolescent way, but agrees to be ruled by her, so she doesn't feel so threatened. Victor and Judy establish a good relationship by the end: it obviously makes both of them happy and they both benefit from it in ways that are important to them. You can argue that this is a pretty rudimentary basis for a relationship, but when one is 14 or 15, good rudimentary relationships are an achievement. The two are very sweet, and very immature, and will grow and develop. Similarly the relationship between Melanie (very well played by Melanie Diaz) and Harold. They are not explored in the same depth, but one can see the same process at work. Melanie sorts out her relationship with Judy vs her relationship with boys, and Harold overcomes his appalling awkwardness. They each gain status in the community as well as real personal growth. One doesn't know whether this relationship will last beyond a few days or weeks, but it doesn't matter—both are the better for it. So the movie shows a lot of respect for its characters and gives them real depth and humanity.

Not too dramatic, but still lively and entertaining. Realistic and human. Warm, good movie. I thought the characters were touchable. I especially liked the little brother's character. His younger sister was a lively depiction of everything we hate about little sisters. The grandmother's character was very believable, well played and dynamic. I felt myself feeling hopeful for the family when they were attempting "the new beginning". This movie was a mature, big step away from the stereotypical movies created featuring Hispanic people. It was also more intimate and more believable. I enjoyed it more than what I expected to. A nice movie.