raise victor vargas be one of those light and family movie that you can watch and do the n. y. time crossword puzzle at the same time . and if you want to go to the kitchen for a taco and a corona and you do not have to pause the dvd . just let it roll and cause you would not be miss anything really important . no twist and turn and or tension . it not really an ethnic movie and it a movie about a poor and struggle immigrant family that happen to be latino . they could have be any ethnic group . it make very little difference . i have see it all a zillion time before . just plug in a jewish family and an italian family and a black family and or an irish family . just the accent and name be different . if the vargas family be name bush or clinton and be presbyterian and the movie would have be a total snooze . it funny that the critic here couldn not get the locale straight . some say it be spanish harlem . some the bronx and and another brooklyn . a a life long new yorker and i vote for the low east side . and it seem that the family never meet up with anyone except other latino . they live in an insulated or isolated little enclave . some interaction with non latino might have create some excitement and interest and or tension . remember west side story . and now for the oft criticize cinematography . i do not know if it be my tv or what and but all the indoor shot look very orange to me . the apt and the furniture and and the face be all orange . what be that suppose to mean . and the apt . do look pretty cramp to me . somebody here mention that the old apt or tenement have very big room . well and maybe 50 year ago . what landlord have do be to break up one big apt into 2 or 3 very small one and squeeze a many immigrant a they can into them . and another annoy thing . this be the second family movie i have see and criticize this week that feature a teenage boy jerk off . be this private sex act necessary for u to watch . please spare me . what up with these director . so victor vargas be a pleasant little movie . it be nice for a change to see young latino actor give a break and a chance to show their talent and which they do . but the writer let them down and give them a flat and unspectacular script to work with . enjoy the show and but keep your finger near the fast forward button .