María Félix: La Doña

Maria Felix's story has blown me away. I wanted to know about her because my maternal side is Mexican, and I grew up with a Grandmother who always loved the Mexican Golden Age of Cinema. Tubi has helped me reconnect with the Mexican Golden Age of Cinema, but I noticed this was available on VIX. Maria Felix deserved better, but it felt like she had too many setbacks in her life and the woman could not get a break. I was intrigued by her life and wealthy, but humble beginnings in Sonora and Jalisco, but I was very sympathetic to her story and neverending traumas dealt with. It is a shame she did not break into American (USA) cinema, perhaps she probably would have become an even bigger legend.

I loved this novela of the wonderful María Félix! Ximena did a wonderful portrayal. She matched her beauty and personality. Sadly, I was not a fan of the second actress she did not hit the mark, just terrible. She lost me and eventually I stopped watching it. This is the reason I gave it a lower rating. The costumes and sets are spot on and I love the clips of some of her biggest films. From what I know of her life the novela is pretty accurate Can't wait for the movie to come out with Eiza Gonzalez. Highly, recommend to those of you who have never heard of her. She was extremely talented. Expect to see some familiar faces including Frida and Diego.

Some things kept throwing me off like furniture and lamps were in the wrong decades. In the lobby scene when Maria Felix was working for a plastic surgeon during the late 30s/early 40s, the chairs were 60s danish modern, and the lights were from the 50s. Likewise the sofa and chairs in Augustine Lara's house in the late 40s were from the early 70s, and the dining table was 60s. It was distracting and made following the story confusing. It was obvious the set designer went into an antique shop, grabbed everything retro they could lay their hands on and figured it would cover an entire 40 year period. Also, at one point in the late 30s they show black and white footage of Mexico City and judging from the cars it was from some time in the 60s. The costumes were beautifully done though.

The other thing that threw me off was the final actor to portray Enrique Alvarez Felix who looked nothing like the previous actor so it took me a while to figure out who he was. He was also short, slim and tan, where as the real Enrique Alvarez Felix was quite tall and fair skinned. I think the actor who played his partner, Juan would've been a better pick. I also seem to have missed how Maria Felix's brother died at military school. I don't think that was ever explained or addressed. Otherwise I'd say it was fairly well acted.

Hold onto your sombreros, amigos, because we're diving headfirst into the Maria Félix universe, and let me tell you, it's a wild ride that's definitely not a novela - despite what our confused reviewer friend over there might think. This series is like a box of churros - wonderfully sweet and totally binge-worthy!

First off, Ximena takes the lead here, and let's just say she's got more talent than a lucha libre wrestler has muscles. She's not quite María Félix-level stunning, but come on, who is? Still, she's like the spicy salsa to our taco - just the right kick! And can we talk about the cast? They're so on point, you'd think they're in a synchronized dance-off against time itself.

Oh, the outfits! They're historically accurate, which is like getting a history lesson without the boring bits. Watching old Mexico come alive on screen is like finding a hidden tres leches cake in the back of your fridge - unexpected and oh-so-satisfying. The scenes are like a travel brochure for a time machine vacation, and trust me, you'll want to book a ticket.

Now, let's address the elephant in the room - the whole brotherly love thing. Yeah, it's about as clear as trying to read a menu after one too many margaritas. But hey, in the land of telenovelas and strange family dynamics, who are we to judge? It's like a telenovela inception - a series about a telenovela-worthy relationship.

But wait, there's more! The costumes and sets are so spot-on, you'd think they borrowed them from a museum. And those film clips? They're like those nostalgic family videos your abuela forces you to watch, but in this case, they're actually entertaining.

Now, rumor has it that a movie is in the works with Eiza González - who's fantastic, but let's be real, she's not exactly a María Félix doppelganger. If we had a say, we'd go for Ximena any day. But hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves - time will tell, just like waiting for the tamales to steam.

Now, let's have a little chat about ratings. Us Latinos might be more interested in munching on tacos than giving out ratings, but come on, people! It's time to put down the guacamole and show some love to these shows that are making our community shine. Let's turn the spotlight onto our movies and series, and watch them grow like a chia pet on steroids.

So amigos, I highly recommend grabbing your popcorn (or should I say palomitas) and settling in for this fabulous series. The acting is so good, you'll be applauding from your couch. And the scenery? Well, it's so stunning, you might just start googling flights to old Mexico. This series is like a spicy salsa - it'll leave you craving for more, and trust me, it's way better than going to a novela support group. Go on, treat yourself - La Doña would approve!