Luminarias

Whew! I was looking forward to seeing this film for its (I thought) wonderfully diverse content; there are far too few films with such subject matter and cast, but YIKES!

SO poorly written, SO poorly acted!! It made me so disappointed that the writer tried to fit every stereotype she could into her dialogue, scenes that were forced to fit in all the cliches, forced to fit in contrived "confrontations" and GOD-AWFUL ACTING!!! I don't know what happened to some of these actresses, I've seen many of them in other roles, and they've been very good, but it seems as though they all sank to the level of the film.

It's too bad that this will be held up as an example of Latina filmmaking, it will probably make other producers shy away from tackling content like this in the future.

It was funny and I enjoyed it. I have sat at tables with a group of Latinas and heard similar comments. This movie was about a group of friends whose commonality was their ethnicity. The ladies were letting loose and having fun. And as an audience participant, I was having fun watching them.

I had to disagree with the other reviewer. Just because a woman is a "professional" doesn't mean that she has to use the lingo of her trade all the time. And have heard "professionals" who, away from the job, revert back to their comfort speech. That is what these ladies were doing.

This is exactly the style of movie I have dreamed of screen writing is as long as i can remember. Like mentioned above, this movie has been named a Latina "Waiting to Exhale" but it deserves its own recognition. I see the comparison and it is shameful that a strong ethnic, female based film is so easily categorized and thrown with others so quickly. Both offer main character situations that I recall stirred controversy in that audiences found it false to see women in such strong characters, and being that they are ethnic in US in present times. It's liberating to see characters like this. I wish to work with this cast in my future. Thank you, Luminarias. And yes, going to the restaurant now really brings out my appreciation for the film out.

"Luminarias" tells of four middle-aged, middle class Latina best friends, Mexican-American women, who meet at the title restaurant in L.A. periodically for conversation. Andrea (Frenandez), a lawyer, is the centerpiece of this slice-of-latin-life flick and also the playwright. A mediocre film as films go, "Luminarias" deals with issues of family, ethnicity, romance, and more as it wanders around the genres from sitcom-like comedy to more serious drama, uncertain of its purpose but unabashedly delivering heartfelt entertainment regardless. Should appeal most to Mex-Am females. C

Note - If we can trust the IMDB.com stats, this is a real love it or hate it flick with over 1/4 scoring it a 1 and over 1/4 giving it a 10 and everyone else scattered in between.

In US there is a large variety of Mexicans, particularly in California. There you find Mexican legal and illegal emigrants, and US citizens of Mexican origin called Chicanos by the Americans or Pochos by the same Mexicans. Chicanos normally speak well Spanish, at least 80% of them, and behave as Mexicans in their way of lives. This film shows the behavior of four Chicano ladies, their dreams, their wishes, always trying to live well as Americans but also dreaming to have a hot lover or husband able to dance and to enjoy as they do. I found this film interesting because many of Latinos are like these ladies and they want to live well but eating tacos and tortillas, drinking tequila and having hot sex with their lovers or husbands, no matter if they are not US citizens. May be the film could have done better technically, but its message was clear to me, but may not be the same for non Latino population.