Victor (Victor Rasuk) doesn’t have much, but that’s not stopping him from trying to go out with the prettiest girl on the block (Judy Marte). All he’s got is hope and a one-bedroom apartment he shares with his family. His grandmother doesn’t trust him, his brother worships him, and his sister just declared war. But Victor thinks love really can conquer all in this film about life in a part of the city most people never see.

CRITIQUE

Raising Victor Vargas is the story of a young love that develops slowly before finding its balance. The film takes place in a predominately Dominican neighborhood on the lower east side of Manhattan, and there is a distinct flavor to it that comes from that, an authenticity, but not to an overwhelming degree. This could be any city, with any people. The great thing about this film is that it captures people, real, honest human drama. The characters are portrayed with relying on cliché, without the tired stereotypes we have seen over and over. Refreshingly absent are the guns, the gangs, the drugs that we have seen done to death as the hazards of other movies, what we have here is a household that has produced three basically good kids, their problems no different than the problems of any other kid that age. While the values of Victor’s grandmother may by old fashioned, and while she frustrates Victor with her old world ways, he and his siblings still love and need her.

The development of the relationship between Judy and Victor is interesting to watch. It develops slowly. Judy plays hard to get at first, batting down all of Victor’s attempts to win her. When she finally does come around, it is not in the way Victor expects. “Okay, you can be my man now,” she says, “just don’t fuck with me.” Victor fashions himself a ladies man, though he may be more inexperienced than he would like us to think. When is caught at the beginning of the film with Fat Donna, the ugliest girl on the block, and his sister tells him, “you’ll always be known as Fat Donna’s boy,” he knows he has to salvage his reputation. We spend the film getting to know these two, and when they finally kiss, it is all the more satisfying because we have seen what they have gone through to get to that point.

The film is ultimately more than a boy meets girl story. If that was all there was to it, there would be little to set it apart from any other teen comedy. Raising Victor Vargas is so much more than that. One has to wonder how this film got an R rating. Some language aside, there is nothing here that could be considered objectionable. This is especially confusing when one considers the far raunchier films that somehow land their PG-13 ratings. This is an important coming of age film, and the unfortunate rating should not cause anyone to avoid it.

THE VIDEO

The film is presented in the original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, and the visuals are amazing. The film’s warm colors come through well, and the overall picture is crisp.

THE AUDIO

Raising Victor Vargas is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround. The sound is a bit quiet at times, but is sharp overall.

THE EXTRAS

The bonus material on this disc gives us some detailed insight into the evolution of this film.

Filmmaker’s Commentary: Director Peter Sollett, the two leads, and others involved in the making of the film talk about the making of the movie, how it went from short film to feature, and other interesting aspects of the picture.

Five Feet Tall and Rising: The short film on which Raising Victor Vargas was based. This feels like an abridged version of the film, centering mostly on the meeting of Victor and Judy. Running just shy of thirty minutes, this short film is equally compelling.

Five Feet Tall and Rising Companion: A behind-the-scenes look at the cast of the short film. We get a peek into the lives of Victor Rasuk and Judy Marte a couple of years after making the film.

Photo Gallery: Behind-the-scenes photos.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Raising Victor Vargas is a compelling, honest film that shows a piece of city life we rarely get to see on the screen. This new special edition, with its great audio/visual presentation and insightful special features, is an ideal addition to any collection.