Raising Victor Vargas
Samuel Goldwyn Films | Release Date: March 28, 2003 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
83
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 31 Critic Reviews
Positive:
31
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Portland OregonianKim Morgan
One of the purest instances of indie cinema this year. "Pure" meaning that in every aspect of filmmaking and intent this picture is peerless, so truly real, funny, poignant and sexy that it almost feels like a watershed cinematic moment. Read full review
91
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
The writer-director, Peter Sollett, cast the film with kids from his own neighborhood, who give themselves over to the camera with a spirit of improvised play that morphs into vivid, layered acting. Read full review
90
New York Magazine (Vulture)Peter Rainer
A comedy in the best sense--it draws its life from the pitch-perfect authenticity of its characters. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesManohla Dargis
His film may be something of a beautiful lie, but what's true about Sollett's characters is that their dreams, their grace and their struggles are as real as it gets. Read full review
90
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
Delicate and altogether satisfying romantic comedy. Read full review
90
The New RepublicStanley Kauffmann
This is Sollett's first feature film -- he has previously made only one short -- and it shows, more than exceptional talent for cinema itself, his ability to evoke character, in a kind of sidewise offhand way, and to create a sense of community both within and around the film. Read full review
90
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
I loved this movie, and I wish it could be seen by all those kids who turn out every weekend for shoddy studio comedies that show them who they'd like to be. Raising Victor Vargas shows young lovers as they are.
90
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Succeeds where 100 studio-generated teen romances -- starring the bland, the blunt or the blow-dried -- have failed. Read full review
90
Dallas ObserverJean Oppenheimer
While Sollett provided cast members with a detailed breakdown of the story--a kind of narrative guide--he wanted them to improvise their own dialogue based on how they would react to a similar situation in their own lives....The result is quite extraordinary. Read full review
90
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
Warmly recommended to viewers who like their romantic comedies small-scale but life-size. Read full review
90
L.A. WeeklyErnest Hardy
Victor Vargas has the look and feel of a neo-realist masterpiece, yet captures New York with a burnished authenticity not seen since the glory days of ’70s American cinema. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeTy Burr
The ''R'' rating is understandable, but absurd. This is a family film in the most complicated and, ultimately, most cheering sense. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
It's the kind of movie you know you can trust, and you give yourself over to affection for these characters who are so lovingly observed. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneRobert K. Elder
In the tradition of indie films "Girlfight" and "George Washington," Sollett's emotive, sub-improvising style leads to pitch-perfect performances from a watertight cast in a loose, joyfully fresh film. Read full review
88
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
There's a good heart beating at the core of Victor Vargas, one that belies its R-rating. Read full review
88
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
There's nothing in the utterly enchanting Raising Victor Vargas you haven't seen before; you'd just be hard-pressed to name another movie that did it as well. Read full review
83
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
Comes together with a wry sense of humor, a total lack of gratuitous movie nonsense and a graceful dignity that allows the humanity of his characters to shine through in a very special way. Read full review
80
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
What makes Raising Victor Vargas so special, beyond its irresistible charisma, is how Sollett and his cast capture the thrill of first love. Read full review
80
Washington PostLaura Winters
As fresh -- and as restorative -- as a lemon ice on a hot day. Read full review
80
SalonStephanie Zacharek
A modest and tightly focused picture, and its very directness makes it piercingly intimate. Read full review
80
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
Nearly perfect. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleKimberley Jones
Sollett’s first feature is a small, but indelible picture, one that approaches the most universal of themes -– first love, confused hormones, parental clashes -– with originality. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
A grownup departure from the teen-romance norm -- it speaks nothing about passion and volumes about trust. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleCarla Meyer
A gritty but sweet look at young love and family dynamics. Read full review
75
USA TodayMike Clark
Landed exactly the right actors for a script that already gets points for respecting its teenage characters. Read full review
75
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Writer-director Peter Sollett takes the familiar and turns it into hot, heartfelt movie magic. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
At once sympathetic and unsentimental, this is a model of low-budget storytelling on a human scale. Read full review
75
New York PostMegan Lehmann
A love letter to a New York neighborhood that is rapidly disappearing -- a tight-knit Dominican community. Read full review
70
The New YorkerDavid Denby
Nothing very important happens, but, moment by moment, the movie is alive with the play of gesture and glances, aggression and withdrawal. [31 March 2003, p.106]
70
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
Tender and funny. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
There's something uniquely gratifying about watching nonprofessionals deliver totally natural performances. Read full review
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