Wow, I almost missed this gem of a movie! Don't you make the mistake of passing on it.Fresh, sweet, funny and very real! Everything about this film is just fantastic. The acting, the writing, the camera work, I loved it all! Definitely a slice of life I never experienced, but at the same time, I knew this family, these people and related to them so well. This is a remarkable thing that rarely happens, but the reason I love good cinema.

Why anyone would rate this unfavorably is beyond me? Loved this movie. All the talk about ethnicity I think was out of place. To me it was more a story of a grandmother trying to raise kids going into puberty yet still holding fast to her values, though she learns eventually to be flexible. And for those too crass or wounded to remember what innocence was like and coming to terms with trying to mature as a teenager, maybe they should watch this film till the'penny drops'and they 'get it!' Superb film, especially from a filmmaker just starting out.Judy Marte was extraordinary. Her eyes captivate and her face gives off this air of mystery. I found myself wanting to delve more into the character she was portraying by her acting. I hope more good roles come her way to showcase her talent. The entire cast were enjoyable.

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.

Being a sucker for coming-of-age films, I found myself enchanted by the down-to-earth aura of "Raising Victor Vargas", the first feature film by Peter Sollett, which has won praise at many film festivals because it shows life in a part of Manhattan that most people don't see, let alone refuse to (More on that later).At age seventeen, the title person (played by an electric Victor Rasuk) is a bouncing ball or bravado and testosterone, sporting a spiky Afro, but he regrets almost seducing an obese girl for fear of being a "chubby chaser" among his friends and others in the area. So, he goes woos Judy Gonzales (Judy Marte, who looks like a younger Jennifer Lopez), a pretty lass whose beauty attracts unwelcomed, ungentlemanly suitors. She doesn't want to be with a man, because she doesn't want to be a single mother at her age, but Victor persists while being the "father figure" in his family. Dealing with a kid brother/piano prodigy who's going through puberty (Mr. Rasuk's real-life sib, Silvestre); a shrewish half-sister (Krystal Rodriquez) and a feisty, God-fearing grandmother (the delightful Altagarcia Guzman) is not easy, but it's the only family Victor has, and they keep him grounded and make him a better paramour for Judy.There are other tales of courting and they're quite humorous and quaint: Victor's pal Harold (Kevin Rivera) falls for Judy's friend Melonie (Melonie Diaz) while Judy's kid bro Carlos (Wilfree Vasquez) has a thing for Victor's half-sister. Shakespearian romance in Manhattan's Lower East Side? Damn right."Vargas" has a lot of humanity, and it never fails, through its' tender and funny moments. There are no-name actors here, but their performances are powerful and low-key at the same time (Already, Mr. Rasuk and Ms. Diaz have been in high-budgeted productions). Sollett, with some script help from Eva Vives, doesn't let Hollywood glossiness interfere with the story, which is a fine testament of a child becoming an adult, despite where the child-cum-adult lives.That comes down to the unfair animosity towards the film from the user comments here, based on either jealously, bigotry or both (I vote for choice three). Everyone's entitled to their opinions, but projecting your racial/social prejudices on a film that defies them is downright pathetic and inane. Victor's not realistic because he cares about his family? Judy's not realistic because she doesn't want to be a statistic of teenage pregnancy? If you believe those things, you're certifiable because, due to their individualism, Victor and Judy have a chance to grow and prosper from their bleak, urban surroundings. If that doesn't make a great coming-of-age story, I don't know what does."Raising Victor Vargas" is one of those films that rises from the typical and should be applauded.