Jesse Garcia in “Flamin’ Hot”. Photo by Emily Aragones. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 20th Century Studios All rights reserved.
Premiering on Hulu and Disney+, “Flamin’ Hot” tells the gripping true story of Richard Montañez, a man who emerged from a life of struggle and came up with a brilliant idea for an untapped market in the entertainment industry. chips, realized his dreams of life.
What is the story of ‘Flamin’ Hot’?
The film tells the story of Montañez (Jessie Garcia), who was born in an East Los Angeles barrio community to Mexican-American parents in the late 1950s. an ambitious soul and a dream for a better life. He dropped out of school in his mid-teens – one of his biggest regrets – to find that without a high school diploma or college education, the only jobs he could get were window washers and service station attendants. It wasn’t what he wanted for himself or his future.
It was her perseverance that eventually landed her a job as a janitor at a local Frito-Lay factory. At work, her inquisitive mind wanted to know more about snack making, machinery and the production line, which made her colleagues and superiors suspicious. Who was this man who dared to think he was someone he wasn’t and wanted more from his life?
While his colleagues told him his chances of getting a meeting with the CEO were about the same as flying to the moon, Montañez wanted to make sure his ideas got the upper hand. He eventually spent years toiling in the factory before the opportunity finally presented itself, when PepsiCo CEO Roger Enrico (Tony Shalhoub) was on hand for a factory tour. Surprisingly, the man with no formal education and no training or business marketing tools managed to have a one-on-one time with the boss, who was intrigued enough to request a formal introduction. The rest is history, Montañez’s ideas led him to join the ranks of the company’s management.
(L to R) Tony Shalhoub and Matt Walsh in ‘Flamin’ Hot.’ Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 20th Century Studios All rights reserved.
Who else is in ‘Flamin’ Hot?
The cast also includes Annie Gonzalez as Judy Montañez, Richard’s wife, Dennis Haysbert as Richard’s mentor at Frito-Lay, Clarence C. Baker, Matt Walsh as his boss, Lonny Mason, Bobby Soto as Richard’s friend Tony Romero and Emilio Rivera as his father. , Vacho Montañez.
Eva Longoria on the set of ‘Flamin’ Hot.’ Photo by Anna Kooris. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 20th Century Studios All rights reserved.
Breaking stereotypes
Although there was some debate in 2021 as to whether the Montañez story really holds (Frito-Lay questioned the story as it stands, as noted in this LA Times article) , it’s undeniable that he had a role to play in expanding the flavors of the company’s products to appeal to Latino audiences. And that doesn’t diminish the power of the film itself.
Longoria may be making her directorial debut here, but she brings a wealth of experience both in front of and behind the camera – a full acting resume and working on both producing and directing all sorts of TV series, from the dramatic tastes of ‘Grand Hotel’ to the more comedic tones of ‘Black-ish’ and ‘Jane the Virgin’, which mixes the two.
Here she walks through Montañez’s story, touching on the important parts and never leaving out the love he shows for his family and the struggles he and his wife have been through. And the film even nods to how Montañez had to hustle less than legally at first, while also disrupting and challenging common misconceptions about Mexican culture in particular. It’s a story of determination and enthusiasm, with a supportive family that contradicts the standard television and film portrayal of Latino culture as gang bangers or immigrants.
Highlights of “Flamin’ Hot” include Garcia’s charming lead performance as Montañez, telling his life story in a way that engages you, and working well on Linda Yvette Chávez’s screenplay.
(L to R) Jesse Garcia and Dennis Haysbert in ‘Flamin’ Hot.’ Photo by Anna Kooris. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 20th Century Studios All rights reserved.
Haysbert also gets a solid arc as Clarence, the gruff, genius engineer who maintains the machinery at the factory where Montañez sweeps the floors. Spotting something in the ambitious man, he guides him to success, even though he aspires to be at management level himself and is frustrated that some of the people he has trained have been promoted above him. Her relationship with Richard is much more equal and warm, the enthusiasm and openness of Montañez’s approach breaking through Clarence’s barriers and proving a boon to both of them.
Shalhoub, meanwhile, is good value in a relatively small (but still crucial) role as CEO of Frito-Lay, one of the people who inspires Richard to dream bigger. And he’s at the center of fast-paced, fun scenes where Richard imagines how corporate executives get the job done, stuffed suits transforming into gangsters threatening each other in cartoon voices provided by Richard.
It’s the kind of film that gets made a lot, but much more rarely about people who look like Richard Montañez and his family, which is all the more remarkable. And while it’s unfortunate that Disney Searchlight’s decision chose to push it to Hulu, it has a chance of reaching a wider audience than a limited engagement in theaters.
(L to R) Director Eva Longoria and DP Federico Cantini on the set of ‘Flamin’ Hot.’ Photo by Emily Aragones. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 20th Century Studios All rights reserved.
Not as tasty
It’s not a perfect film – you can definitely see moments where the budget exceeded the ambition of Longoria and his team, with questionable wiggling moments and scenes that could have been deleted without losing any of the flavor. of the movie.
An engaging, funny, and charming story well told, “Flamin’ Hot” sometimes feels like it was meant to be a limited series rather than a movie, so full of incident was its subject’s life.
But if it serves to inspire just one or two people to go the extra mile to pursue their dreams, it’ll be an interesting movie, while entertaining even if you’re not looking for a new direction in life.
‘Flamin’ Hot’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
(L to R) Jesse Garcia and Eva Longoria on the set of ‘Flamin’ Hot.’ Photo by Emily Aragones. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 20th Century Studios All rights reserved.
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“Flamin’ Hot” is produced by Franklin Entertainment and Searchlight Pictures, and is slated for release on Hulu and Disney+ on June 9.