Youthful vigor, the chaos of family life, summer volleyball at the beach, and cramped urban living – Joel Alfonso Vargas’ first feature-length film delivers all this with a real sense of vitality. Rico, a carefree 19-year-old from the Dominican Republic, spends his days selling beverages at the beach and hanging out with friends in the Bronx. But things take a serious turn when his 16-year-old girlfriend Destiny gets pregnant and moves in with young Rico and his family.
The virtues of Vargas’ vibrant feature-length debut include turning the spotlight on Black Latino characters and their way of life. Rico may not be the ideal son-in-law, but despite his hopeless immaturity the young man possesses a unique flavor of charisma and charm. The director has said that he based the character on his big brother and his brother’s circle of friends.
Mad Bills to Pay gently follows Rico, his tough mom, his sharp and quick-witted sister, and his assertive bride – and the chaos that ensues from life under the same roof. Vargas’ film harkens back to predecessors like the celebrated films of John Cassavetes, with their improvised dialogue and long, enthralling static shots. Why must there be discordance, why must love require responsibility, why…
JOEL ALFONSO VARGAS (b. 1991) hails from the cultural melting pot that is the Bronx, a New York City borough made famous by numerous gritty films. The part of this melting pot most central to Vargas’ work is the vibrant Dominican American community, whose music and art lend flavor to the director’s films. Although Vargas began his filmmaking career as a self-taught teen, he would go on to study screenwriting and directing at the National Film and Television School of London. Vargas’ films combine elements of both documentary and fiction, using “street casting,” a small crew, and half-improvised dialogue. Some of the central themes in Vargas’ work include problems of identity as an immigrant, coming-of-age stories, and social justice.
Timo Malmi