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Review

Director Sollett's 2000 Sundance and Cannes Jury Prize-winning short, Five Feet High and Rising, receives a brilliantly assured feature-length follow-up with Raising Victor Vargas. High schooler Victor Vargas (Rasuk, the charismatic lead from Five Feet) fancies himself a Casanova. When friends discover he's secretly getting it on with the neighborhood "fat chick," his reputation is at stake. So Victor schemes to raise his status by hooking up with the most popular and attractive girl in school, "Juicy" Judy Ramirez (Marte). Constantly fending off would-be suitors, Judy is initially irked by Victor’s advances, but decides to manipulate the situation so that it benefits them both: she'll pretend to be Victor's girlfriend so that he can get respect, and she can be protected from other boys' advances. Meanwhile, Victor's girl-crazy antics lead to trouble at home, where his cranky, old-school grandmother (a hilarious Guzman) sees him as a detrimental influence on younger sibling--and compulsive masturbator--Nino (Rasuk). Eventually, conflicts with family and Judy teach Victor that there's a difference between acting like a man and becoming one. Sollett and his mostly non-professional cast developed Raising Victor Vargas during two years of close contact and improvisation. The kids' own lives and experiences were worked into the narrative, and the resulting personal connection shines through. You'll come away loving these characters as much as Sollett obviously does.