New York Times
"...[A] delicate and altogether satisfying romantic comedy....The VARGAS casting is magical; the new-to-movies actors assume the roles like they were born to play them..." 03/28/2003 p.E1Rolling Stone
"...Director Peter Sollett takes the familiar and turns it into hot, heartfelt movie magic..." 04/17/2003 p.111 Entertainment Weekly
"...[The actors] give themselves over to the camera with a spirit of improvised play that morphs into vivid, layered acting..." 04/18/2003 p.47 USA Today
"...The movie keeps you guessing right up to the end, a wait made pleasurable thanks to cinematographer Tim Orr..." 05/02/2003 p.14D Film Comment
"...When the film taps into its dramatic core, raw emotional substance springs eternal..." 05/01/2003 p.69 Los Angeles Times
"...What's true about Sollett's characters is that their dreams, their grace and their struggles are as real as it gets..." 04/18/2003 p.C4 Sight and Sound
"...An understated coming-of-age story..." 10/10/2003 p.63 Movieline's Hollywood Life
"A coming-of-age tale that feels fresh thanks to docu-like realism and heartfelt improv from the novice teenage cast..." 09/01/2004 p.118 Chicago Sun-Times 9 of 10
I was in a discussion the other day about whether a movie can be erotic. Sexual, yes, and explicit, yes--but truly erotic? To achieve that, a film must abandon the details of sexual congress and focus instead on the personalities of its characters. When Victor and Judy finally kiss in this movie, it is a moment more real and joyous than miles of "sex scenes," because by then we know who they are, how they have traveled together to this moment, and what it means to them. Raising Victor Vargas was directed and written by Peter Sollett. It grew from an award-winning short subject made with the same actors, who are not experienced professionals but are fresh and true in a way that suggests they're the real thing, and will have fruitful careers. - Roger Ebert
James Berardinelli's ReelViews 8 of 10
The movie was written and directed by Peter Sollett, who developed the story from a short he made featuring the same actors. None of the players are professionals, but they are accomplished, and we never doubt the characters they are bringing to life or the situations they are in. Likewise, Sollett's camera work looks appropriately low-budget, but the effect is to add to the movie's pseudo-realism, not to detract from our enjoyment of the story. He is not a flashy director, but he understands his craft. The result is a satisfying motion picture that wins its audience over because the characters are allowed to be themselves. - James Berardinelli
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