Review of Raising Victor Vargas (2002) by Annetta K — 03 May 2006

[b]Jarhead[/b], directed by Sam Mendes, explores the boredom of young Marines as the await action in the first Gulf War. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Anthony Swafford, a young man who joined the service just as father and grandfather did. He experiences the rigors of boot camp, becomes a sniper, and eventually his unit is assigned to Kuwait after the Iraq invasion. There he, best buddy Troy (Peter Sarsgaard), his sergeant Sykes (Jamie Foxx) and the rest of the men pass time waiting for the actual combat to begin. Months later the ground forces do invade Iraq only to find that air strikes have done most of the damage, ending these guys war after four days. The film also features Lucas Black, Chris Cooper, Dennis Haysbert, Evan Jones and Brian Geraghty.

[i]Jarhead [/i]is a different kind of war film (very little action here) but unfortunately it never really goes anywhere. The story barely scratches the surface on the issues of war, instead it focuses on the men's boredom and desire to fight. That would be fine if the characters were more compelling, but most are not. Peter Sarsgaard gives the best performance. The film is beautifully shot however.

Directed by Jane Anderson, [b]The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio[/b] explores one woman's efforts to keep her family together through difficult economic times. Based on a true story, Julianne Moore stars Evelyn Ryan, a midwestern housewife with ten children and an alchoholic husband Kelly (Woody Harrelson). Kelly spends most of his income on booze, so Evelyn enters national jingle contests as well as other contests, winning enough money to keep the family afloat and a roof over their heads. The film also features Laura Dern and Ellary Porterfield.

Set in the 50's and 60's, [i]The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio[/i] does a fine job of cpaturing the aura of the era. The costumes and set designs are authentic plus the jingles give a sense of time. Once again Julianne Moore does a terrific job playing a 50's housewife. The film however is far from perfect. Obviously viewers may question why Evelyn Ryan stuck with her husband through all the abuse and his horrilbe money management, and even moreso remained supportive and overly optimistic throughout. Evelyn definitely wasn't a modern woman or the type to burn her bra! That sais she always had her children's welfare in mind first, and should be commended for raising so many fine kids. This film died at the box office and probably has a limited appeal, but those who enjoy Julianne Moore or are a bit nostalgic for [b]something 1950's may enjoy this film. [/b].

[font=Arial][size=2][b]Raising Victor Vargas[/b], directed by Peter Sollett, is a small independent film about a family living in a poverty stricken neighborhood of Manhattan. Victor (Victor Rasuk) is a teenager infatuated with Judy (Judy Marte) the most attarctive girl in the neighborhood. However she isn't an easy catch. Victor also has to deal with his overearing and religious grandmother who is his guardian, a scheming half sister, and a younger brother who idolizes him.

[i]Raising Victor Vargas [/i]is a competent coming-of-age and family drama with a truly authentic feel. Most of the cast are first time actors, and the neighborhood where this was shot is rather harsh. That said it is refreshing to see kids in this environment who are not gang members or drug users. They are real kids with a sense of optimism despite their dire situations. It never achieves greatness, but it's one of the more real teen dramas I've seen recently.

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