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RAISING VICTOR VARGAS: Written and directed by Peter Sollett, based on a story by Sollett and Eva Vives. Produced by Alain de la Mata, Robin O'Hara, Scott Macaulay, Peter Sollett. Executive producer, Vincent Maraval. Cinematographer, Tim Orr. Editor, Myron Kerstein. Music, Roy Nathanson, Bill Ware; additional songs, Coati Mundi. Production design, Judy Becker. Sound design, Steve Borne. Starring Victor Rasuk, Judy Marte, Melonie Diaz, Altagracia Guzman, Silvestre Rasuk, Krystal Rodgrigues, Kevin Rivera, Wilfree Vasques, Donna Maldonado, Alexander Garcia, John Ramos. Sam Goldwyn Films. Fireworks Pictures, 2002. R. 88 minutes.
Youthful innocence is rare in a culture such as ours where the sexualization of young men and young women begins with the exploitation of 14-year-olds or younger for commercial purposes. Greater exposure of young flesh through mass media (and the rise of hardcore porn on cable television and Internet sites) further accelerates the decline of childhood. No longer a time of innocence, childhood is now a brief period where home, school and religion represent values largely absent from popular culture's influence. Certainly that's true for the family central to Peter Sollett's delicious indie film, Raising Victor Vargas. Sixteen-year-old Victor (Victor Rasuk) and his slightly younger siblings, Vicki (Krystal Rodriguez) and Nino (Silvestre Rasuk), live in New York City's East Village with their clear-minded Grandma (Altagracia Guzman). Grandma has raised the kids right, but now she doesn't understand them, especially Victor, who fancies himself a man of the world. Grandma remembers a little from her rural life in the Dominican Republic, and she is determined to keep her kids from becoming criminals. But their burgeoning sexuality is beyond her. When the film opens, shirtless Victor's performing a little lip-licking ritual while taking off his clothes to entice his upstairs neighbor, Donna (Donna Maldonado), a quite willing partner. But Victor doesn't get to first base before his pal, Harold (Kevin Rivera), interrupts, calling for him from the street. Exposed both by his pal and his sister, Vicki, Victor now has to live down the neighborhood gossip that he is "Fat Donna's man." Victor doesn't really mind the gossip, except that it hurts his chances with the girl of his dreams, Judy (Judy Marte), a supercool beauty. Victor and Harold go to cool off at the community swimming pool. There they see Judy and her best friend, Melonie (Melonie Diaz), a plain girl with voluptuous lips. Victor and Harold chat up the girls, but talking is a complicated matter neither has mastered. The girls aren't interested in 'tude. They see right through the boys' studly chatter. Judy already gets too many sexual messages from guys hanging on the corner or around her building to be impressed by Victor's bumbling efforts. While Melonie doesn't get that kind of attention, she turns out to be a more independent teen than she first appears. This indie jewel from 2002 accomplishes what many a big-budget blockbuster claims to do but actually botches. It presents a reasonably realistic picture of boys and girls coming into their sexuality. These adolescents learn to be sensitive to one another — even with their own siblings — and they grow more real. At this age, everything can be misunderstood, and some vital messages do get scrambled, but decency and tenderness win out over artificial attitudes and studied postures. Natural performances from these unspoiled non-professional actors make the film memorable, while Altagracia Guzman creates a convincing portrait of a woman struggling for understanding the new way of the world. Showing the uncertainty all young men face about their sexuality has been shown before, but it bears repeating here. Victor Rasuk and Kevin Rivera ably represent older teens, while Silvestre Rasuk and Wilfree Vasquez (Judy's younger brother, Carlos, who's interested in Victor's sister, Vickie) tie down the truly terrible time inarticulate younger males face. Melonie Diaz is a wonder, and Judy Marte brings nuanced depth to her feelings. They illuminate what today's oversexualized expectations do to young women. Their brief talk about whom you can trust should be seen by all teens. How stupid that this humanizing, delicate treatment of sexual awareness should earn an R rating, when slasher teen flicks with zero social value don't. Raising Victor Vargas deserves your attention. It gets my highest recommendations. Opens Friday at the Bijou.
Follow-Up
Flops If you're looking for one word to sum up this year's summer movie line-up that word is sequel. With movies such as X-2, The Matrix Reloaded, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, it seems that Hollywood is hoping that if it worked once, it will work again. Alas, it proves untrue in at least two cases: Terminator 3 and Full Throttle. Terminator 3 is the latest installation in the Terminator series. Its predecessors are classics, considered must-see material by sci-fi fans. Unfortunately, this sequel doesn't live up to that must-see reputation. John Connor (Nick Stahl), future leader of the human resistance in the war against the machines, again finds himself between assassin robots — one sent to kill him and one sent to protect him. Once he figures out which is which, he sets out with his sweetheart (Claire Danes) to stop a nuclear apocalypse — same old, same old. The Charlie's Angels legacy is not as great, therefore the standards for the sequel not as high — but that doesn't keep Full Throttle from failing to meet them. The Angels (Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu) are at it again, fighting dumber villains and wearing skankier outfits than even the first movie had to offer. What was successful about the first one was its infectious levity and its clever disguises. This time the humor is either forced or stupid and the disguises serve only to reveal cleavage. Traditionally speaking, Terminator 3 and Full Throttle would never fall into the same category, one hinged on bombs and big stompy robots and the other on boobs and big stompy go-go boots. However, there is one key element that ties them together — their overwhelming gratuity. Both films use gratuitous nudity, violence and cameo appearances to varying degrees of success. Take, for example, this scene from Full Throttle: The Angels, in their effort to fight evil, must somehow gain entry to a warehouse full of antiques and artifacts. To do so, they smuggle themselves in inside a statue of three angels (how clever) and break out once inside the warehouse. This would be cool and clever if it weren't for the fact that they do it, inexplicably, in the nude. In the first 20 minutes of Terminator 3 we see the latest robot model, the TX, zapped back in time. As per the last two movies, the robot modeled after the human form arrives in its time-bubble completely naked. This particular model of killing machine, however, is played by supermodel Kristanna Loken. Truthfully, Loken doesn't do a bad job as the unstoppable TX, but her unclothed arrival feels deliberate, obvious — even a little skanky. Death defying stuntwork and mind numbing violence also make their marks in these films. In Full Throttle, the key word is "implausible." Diaz, at a motocross track, gets her dirtbike shot out from under her. Instead of falling to the ground, she does an impossible midair cartwheel and lands on the back of Barrymore's bike. In the first film, such silly stunts were funny; this time around they just seem tired, even a little stupid. Terminator 3, at least, does not succumb to the temptation of midair acrobatics. Instead, director John Mostow just destroys everything in sight. Picture Arnold hefting a bulletproof coffin in one hand and wielding a massive gaussrifle in the other. It's hard not to laugh. Ludicrous stunts aside, both films take advantage of the built-in depth that sequels have to play on nostalgia through cameo appearances. Full Throttle brings back Angels veteran Jaclyn Smith from the original '70s television show. Unfortunately, this cameo serves only to remind the audience of how much better the television show was. The Terminator 3 cameo is slightly more successful. It comes in the form of T-1, the original Terminator robot. Rather than making the audience long for the prequels, it succeeds in reminding us of how good it is to have believable computer graphics. Unfortunately, no matter how good the effects are in either Full Throttle or Terminator 3, both films will make you wish you had just rented the original.
Bad Boys II: Martin Lawrence and Will Smith reunite with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay for another in this summer of sequels. Smith plays Mike Lowrey and Lawrence plays Marcus Burnett, two Miami narcotics detectives assigned to stem the flood of designer ecstasy into Miami. R. Cinemark. Cinema World. Freaky Friday: Remake of the 1976 Disney film. Directed by Mark S. Waters. Dr. Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her 15-year-old daughter, Anna (Lindsay Lohan), are not getting along. One Thursday evening, their disagreements reach a fever pitch — Anna is incensed that her mother doesn't support her musical aspirations and Tess, a widow about to remarry, can't see why Anna won't give her fiance (Mark Harmon) a break. Everything changes when two Chinese fortune cookies cause mystic mayhem. PG. Sneak preview, Fri. 7/18 only. Cinemark. Cinema World. How to Deal: Directed by Clare Kilner. Stars pop singer turned actress Mandy Moore. Laura Sinagra of The Village Voice writes, "Moore's whinier here than in churchy weepie A Walk to Remember, but playing opposite Trent Ford, who, as her rakish beau, affects a chin-down, three-quarter boffo stare in every shot regardless of circumstance, her spunky resolve still brands like honesty." PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Johnny English: When all but one of MI5's top agents are killed in an explosion, it is left to the inept Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson of Mr. Bean fame) to try and solve who has stolen the crown jewels from the Tower of London. Accompanied by his assistant Bough (Ben Miller), Johnny bungles his way through one scrape after another. Directed by Peter Howett. PG. Cinemark. Cinema World. Lizzie McGuire, The Movie: Disney comedy about a girl on a class trip to Italy who is mistaken for an Italian pop star. Stars Hillary Duff, directed by Jim Fall. PG. Movies 12. Osmosis Jones: Directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly with others, this live action/animated comedy goes inside the body to the sites of the most yucky sites. Stars Bill Murray, Molly Shannon and the voices of Chris Rock, David Hyde Pierce and Laurence Fishburne. PG. 10 am, 7/22 only. Movies 12. Raising Victor Vargas: Indie film directed by Peter Sollett. Tender, romantic comedy about young bucks who want to players in their Lower East Side neighborhood. J. Hoberman of The Village Voice writes, "School is out and romantic intrigue is in. All over the neighborhood, persistent guys are madly scheming to get next to tough, sassy girls. Cute and vain 16-year-old Victor (Victor Rasuk) is pursuing pretty, diffident "Juicy Judy" (Judy Marte)." All if this plays against the Old World Dominican values of Victor's grandmother (Altagracia Guzman), who's just trying to raise a good, Domican boy. Inspired performances by these fresh, new faces. R. Bijou. See review this issue.
CONTINUING: Anger Management: Adam Sandler plays a man who must undergo anger management. His shrink, played by Jack Nicholson, moves in with him. Also stars Marisa Tomei. PG-13. Movies 12. Archaeology Channel International Film & Video Festival, The: Discover lost civilizations, sunken galleons, buried treasure — even a cave of glowing skulls — and the true tales of modern African bushmen, all here in Eugene as part of the first international archaeological film and video festival to be held in North America. www.archaeologychannel.orgfor schedule and information. July 16-19, McDonald Theatre. Online archives. Bruce Almighty: Jim Carrey, Morgan Freeman and Jennifer Aniston star in this tale of a at TV reporter, who has a really bad day, rages against God and receives more than he expected. PG-13. Cinemark. Charlie's Angels Full Throttle: McG again directs the angels — Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, and ex-angel Demi Moore — to save the government's witness protection program, from which classified info has been stolen. Written by John August. PG-13. Cinemark. See review this issue. Chicago: Broadway spectacular directed by Rob Marshall stars Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones as killer dames behind bars who compete for tabloid coverage. With Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly and Richard Gere. 2002 Academy Awards for best picture, supporting actress Zeta-Jones, art direction, sound, editing and costumes. PG 13. Movies 12. Online archives. Dumb & Dumberer: Prequel is subtitled When Harry Met Lloyd and stars Derek Richardson and Eric Christian Olsen as the 1994 Dumb and Dumber duo in high school. Directed by Troy Miller, with Eugene Levy, Cheri Oteri and Luis Guzmán. PG-13. Movies 12. Finding Nemo: Pixar (Toy Story) presents this computer-animated fantasy of two Clownfish, Marlin and his son Nemo, who get separated in the Great Barrier Reef. Written and directed by Andrew Stanton (A Bug's Life), with voices by Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Willem Dafoe, Geoffrey Rush, Allison Janney. Very highly recommended. G. Cinema World. Cinemark. Online archives. Holes: Adventures digging holes at Camp Green Lake for Stanley, who comes from a strange family that's been cursed for generations. Embarrassingly, Jon Voight, Sigourney Weaver and Tim Blake Nelson co-star. PG. Movies 12. Online archives. Hulk, The: Director Ang Lee's action-adventure adaptation of the Marvel Comics series hits darker notes than the usual superhero comics. Scientist's (Eric Bana) inner demons change him after a catastrophic experiment. Written by James Schamus, it also stars Jennifer Connelly, Nick Nolte, Josh Lucas and Sam Elliott. PG-13. Cinemark. Online archives. Identity: Ten travelers caught in a rip-snorter of a storm seek refuge at a creepy motel in the desert, and sure enough they begin to die. Directed by James Mangold, stars John Cusack, Ray Liotta and lots of screaming women. R. Movies 12. In-Laws, The: Andrew Fleming directs Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks as the reluctant fathers of the bride and groom. PG-13. Movies 12. Italian Job, The: Mark Wahlberg leads a heist that's double-crossed by one of his crew. Charlize Theron plays a safecracker in this cool revenge movie. Also stars Edward Norton, Mos Def and Donald Sutherland. Highly recommended for its pure entertainment value. PG-13. Cinemark. Online archives. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Based on the comic book miniseries by Alan Moore. Matthew Tobey in All Movie Guide writes, "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen takes place in an alternate universe, where the characters of several literary classics exist in reality. If that wasn't enough, they've been assembled together in 1900 by Queen Victoria as a team of evil-fighting heroes." Directed by Steve Norrington. Stars Sean Connery, Peta Wilson, Shane West, Stuart Townsend, Naseeruddin Shah, and Tony Curran. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde: Reese Witherspoon is back as Elle Woods, Harvard Law, class of 2001, now in DC on behalf of pet animal's rights. Luke Wilson is still her boyfriend, as is her manicure person, Jennifer Coolidge. Sally Field and Bob Newhart join the cast. Charles Herman-Wurmfeld directs. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: Directed and re-imagined by Peter Jackson, part two of J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy continues. New characters, a surprise return and great battles. Director Peter Jackson's second masterpiece. Very highest recommendations. 2002 Academy Awards for sound editing, visual effects. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Man Apart, A: If you've seen the trailer, you know that Vin Diesel is an undercover cop you don't want to mess with, especially after some sorry drug dealer scum breaks into his home. The New York Times' Dave Kehr calls it "a bread-and-butter action film." Directed by F. Gary Gray. R. Movies 12. Owning Mahowny: Richard Kwietniowski directs this film set in the 1980s. Stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as real-life Canadian Dan Mahowny, a young Toronto banker whose assistant manager status puts him in charge of millions of dollars. The movie opens: "Some folks believe everyone has a public life, a private life and a secret life…" Mahowny's public banker life collides here with his private obsessive-compulsive behavior, and his secret gambling addiction — he embezzles money from the bank to wager on sporting events, in card games and Atlantic City gambling sprees — big binges for this outwardly modest, reserved character. Minnie Driver plays Mahowny's devoted girl, John Hurt plays a casino manager. R. Bijou. Pirates of the Caribbean: The New York Times says, "… director Gore Verbinski's penchant for logistics — combined with … producer Jerry Bruckheimer's desire to spend like a drunken pirate … melts into an often frenetic, colorful and entertaining comic adventure that often seems to be using 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' as a template. The dazzling, high-flying silliness is quite an achievement. The movie is better than it deserves to be, given its origins: a ride at Disneyland and Disney World." Stars Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas: DreamWorks animated pirate adventure tale stars the voice of Brad Pitt as Sinbad, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Marina, and Michelle Pfieffer as the goddess of chaos. Joe Fiennes plays Proteus, a rival pirate. Directed by Tim Johnson and Patrick Gilmore. PG. Cinemark. Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines: Jonathan Mostow directs, and Arnold Schwarzenegger comes back to save the world from annihilation once again. John Connor (Nick Stahl), is 18 now, and he's fighting off a female killer cyborg from the future, (Kristanna Loken). R. Cinemark. Cinema World. See review this issue. Twenty-eight Days Later: Danny Boyle (Trainspotting) directs this really scary horror film set in a post-cataclysmic future, where a deadly virus sweeps through earth's population in a few weeks, and leaves people in a chronic state of killer rage. Stars Christopher Eccleston, Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Megan Burns and Brendan Gleeson. Advance word is that it's a great movie. R. Cinemark. Two Fast Two Furious: John Singleton directs this sequel action adventure about street racing. Stars Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Cole Hauser, Eva Mendes. PG-13. Movies 12. View from the Top: Bruno Barreto directs this 1960s era comedy about a girl's dream of becoming a first-class international flight attendant. Stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Christina Applegate, Mark Ruffalo and Candice Bergen. PG-13. Movies 12. Whale Rider: Winner of the World Cinema award at Sundance 2003, Niki Caro's Maori drama about a spunky girl, played by Keisha Castle-Hughes), who decides to show her beloved but authoritarian grandfather that she is able to lead the tribe, despite being a girl. A wonderful, inspiring drama that features the exquisite New Zealand coast. A don't-miss movie. PG-13. Bijou. Online archives. X-Men 2: The next link in the evolutionary chain? Directed by Bryan Singer, stars Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden and more, lots more. PG-13. Movies 12.
MOVIE
THEATERS Bijou
Art Cinemas Regal
Cinemas Cinemark
Theaters
NEW
RELEASES ON VIDEO Ararat: (2002) The Village Voice writes, "Atom Egoyan's Ararat addresses a genocide that predates the invention of the term: the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians by the Turkish Ottoman army during World War I. …This conflicted epic, sprawling in scope yet painfully aware of its limitations, widens the frame … to give Egoyan's reservations free rein." Stars Christopher Plummer, Charles Aznavour, Elias Koteas, Arsinee Khanjian, Bruce Greenwood, Eric Bogosian. Read My Lips: (France, 2002) Directed by Jacques Audiard. Carla is a long-time employee of a property development company. Loyal and hardworking, Carla is beginning to chafe at the limitations of her career. But as a nearly deaf 35-five-year-old woman, she is not sure how to climb out of her humdrum life. Into her life comes Paul Angeli, a thief, fresh out of jail and very good-looking. Stars Vincent Cassel, Emmanuelle Devos, Olivier Gourmet, Olivier Perrier, Olivia Bonamy, Bernard Alane. Next week: Daredevil, The Quiet American, Solaris, I Love you to Death, Spider, Till Human Voices Wake Us.
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