It’s pretty disheartening when a movie like “Flamin’ Hot” is released that offers a different take on the whole rags to riches story. Then you learn that none of it is even remotely true, and all you can really do is invest in a myth, or shut it off halfway. I decided to stick with it because, hey if you can’t be given a true story, maybe there’s an entertaining one to be found. But “Flamin’ Hot” is just another in a line of “Rah Rah Capitalism!” movies to be found on the market with movies like “Tetris,” “Blackberry,” and the obnoxious “Air.” I don’t know what the goal is behind making movies about the creation of various products, but I’m just not on board.
Richard Montanez, the son of a Mexican immigrant, was a janitor at Frito Lay when he came up with the idea for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. His creation, inspired by the flavours of his community, revitalizes Frito-Lay and disrupts the food industry.
You can argue that “Flamin’ Hot” has a sense of significance to the whole idea of pop culture and business, but it feels so slimy to me. All these movies feel like committee made propaganda meant to lionize what was just the scheme of marketers and corporate developers in the end. I don’t need to see Matt Damon giving tear drenched speeches about sneakers. And there just isn’t enough in “Flamin Hot” to warrant a ninety minute movie. This is especially true considering that none of it is factual. The whole story of Richard Montaňez and how he invented “Flamin’ Hot Cheetos” has been debunked by investigators as a lot of tall tales and huge exaggerations.
The actual Montaňez is something of a grifter who has centered his life on lionizing himself and perpetuating the myth of the American immigrant rising to power thanks to good old fashioned hard work. The tall tale itself is a goofy (Jessie Garcia and Annie Gonzalez are at least charming), often cheesy comedy drama that thrives on cheesy speeches and sentimentality. Eva Longoria’s direction is nothing innovative, all the while “Flamin’ Hot” watches like a disingenuous Latino flavored Capra film. There’s even the consistent religious overtones revolving around Richard’s wife whose religious devotion is implied to have played a hand in Richard’s success story. I hope Eva Longoria uses her platform to tell true, compelling stories about the immigrant experience and living in America, someday.
“Flamin’ Hot” just feels like another grift.
Now Streaming on Hulu.