★ 6 / 10
Eva Longoria makes her feature film directorial debut
Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots
Eva Longoria makes her feature film directorial debut in “Flamin’ Hot,” a breezy biopic about Richard Montanez, the man who invented the super spicy (and well…
Eva Longoria makes her feature film directorial debut in “Flamin’ Hot,” a breezy biopic about Richard Montanez, the man who invented the super spicy (and well known) flavor of Cheetos. This underdog story of a hardworking Mexican immigrant who found success despite all of the boxes society tried to put him in is one that’s inspiring, satisfying, and universal.
As a teenager, Montanez (Jesse Garcia) was in and out of trouble. As he puts it, “when society treats you like a criminal, you become one.” He was on the fast track to a permanent life of crime until his wife Judy (Annie Gonzalez) became pregnant with their first son. Searching for a better life for his new family, Richard relied on his street smarts and entrepreneurial attitude to go out and make his own success story. A go-getter from the start, he ended up working at Frito Lay and, after “thinking like a CEO,” came up with the idea to create a flavor that would appeal to the large Hispanic market and save the snack food industry.
It’s a terrific story that captures the Mexican-American experience that’s not often seen in mainstream films. Linda Yvette Chávez’s script feels deeply personal, and she takes Richard’s inspiring, complex story and gives us an intimate picture of the man behind the Cheetos. The result is a very human film about discrimination, determination, and the ability to get a leg up on life by pulling yourself out of a bad situation.
The story (which is actually controversial because there is a debate as to who really invented the snack flavor) is full of humor and heart. It’s a love story between Richard and Judy, his supporting, loving wife. She isn’t just a background character waiting in the shadows, but is presented as a very strong, tenacious woman who dominates every seen she’s in.
As is the case with most biopics, there’s obvious embellishment and exaggeration, and there’s no shortage of emotional fluffery that is designed to tug on your heartstrings. There’s plenty of discussion about having faith and living the American dream, which does feel as corny as it sounds.
There’s a lot of talk about representation in front of the camera, but it’s important behind the camera, too. Longoria put her money where her mouth is and hired a diverse crew for her film because who tells these stories also matters. The final product is something that radiates an authentic tone and feeling that is rare, especially for a biopic.
Longoria’s directorial style is polished and well-matched to the script, with a clear vision and voice. The cast is just as easy to love. Charismatic and sympathetic, I was rooting for Richard and Judy the minute they were introduced onscreen. Casting is so important in a film like this, and it couldn’t be more perfect.
Despite a predictable outcome and a few obvious exaggerations of the truth, “Flamin’ Hot” is an irresistible underdog story about a disruptor who shook up the snack food industry. It’s a funny, sweet, and delightful film that’s as crowd-pleasing as it gets.
By: Louisa Moore
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★ 6 / 10
Could we truly call it a Biographical movie if its based on lies?
ceilia-lucas
Flamin' Hot is a 2023 American biographical comedy-drama film directed by Eva Longoria, about a Frito Lay janitor named Richard Montañez, who came up with the…
Flamin' Hot is a 2023 American biographical comedy-drama film directed by Eva Longoria, about a Frito Lay janitor named Richard Montañez, who came up with the idea for Flaming Hot Cheetos.This year has definitely been the year for inspirational biopics such as Tetris, Air and Blackberry and now this latest story - Flaming Hot is captivating, funny and heart warming.The movie tells us about Montañez's life, his determination to make something of himself, his love and support for his neighbourhood and his family and the struggles along the way he faced.The story is fresh and enjoyable with just enough drama to pull the viewer in. The cast was well chosen and the acting was spot on.Does the fact that the story is not entirely true takes away the enjoyment of the movie?Not in my opinion.Could we truly call it a Biographical movie if its based on lies?I leave this question to you.
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★ 6 / 10
Inauthentic feel-good fabrication
HenRex
I needed to watch a feel-good, and it does its job as well as could be expected. Unfortunately, what I only discovered afterwards was that although the movie…
I needed to watch a feel-good, and it does its job as well as could be expected. Unfortunately, what I only discovered afterwards was that although the movie aspires to be a true story of going from being the underdog to the top, the entire thing is a fabrication, as documented by The Los Angeles Times. Montañes has publicly changed important details of the story over his lifetime, and even PepsiCo itself disputes that he had anything to do with Flamin' Hot Cheetos. Most importantly, Enrico was not even with the company at the time this happened, and Montañes was actually promoted to a machinist shortly after starting as a janitor.
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This movie was a complete lie, none of this ever happend.