Ians Ramblings Ian's ramblings, daily, ish

Raising Victor Vargas

I know this posting is effectively out of date at the time of writing, but I only just discovered this exceptional film.

If you have't already seen it, it is basically a 'slice of life' drama / romance based in the lower east side of Manhattan in New York City against the backdrop of the Hispanic community and the glowing orange sun of summer.

Raising Victor Vargas

Incredibly intriguing and captivating, I found it impossible to turn away once I began to watch. I am usually one of the harshest critic0,s but to me this film was just brilliant, strange as this may sound I could almost smell the air and feel the textures of the locations.

From a cinematographic I thought there was great use of light and texture. From the orange glow of the summer light, down to the plastic wrapped couch all had a distinct air of realism to me.

From a character perspective I thought the notion of Victor Vargas as almost the glue that connects the story was quite inspired, each of the other members of the family having a more complete background simply caused greater intrigue in the main character himself.

Beyond that, having known someone just like the grandmother and having been on the receiving end of just such a situation, I can say the situation felt particularly realistic. The awkwardness, the accent, the cooking and even down to the comments made felt so authentic to me.

I think this film worked for me because I began to watch it with no expectations and found it completely immersing and brought back memories of teenage emotion, well worth a watch.