Austin Chronicle . Watching Luminarias is like going to a really great party. With wonderful music, interesting characters, and lots of laughter, this picture feels much bigger than it really is. Noisy and colorful and warm and funny, it's the story of four Latina friends who are struggling with love, sex, divorce, success, and a lifetime of anger and resentment from growing up brown in a white world.
Rage is acknowledged and expressed, but love and acceptance is palpable and overpowering.
There are some unlikely plot developments and an often uneasy mix of social commentary and melodrama, but its very imperfections seem to work for the picture. A big, living, breathing film with a loud and steady heartbeat, Luminarias wouldn't be nearly as human or as much fun if it were perfect. Austin Chronicle .