Frida

Rating:
Summary: I really really really did want to like this movie .....
Review: but ... after all the hype, both from the press and from my friends I have to admit I was disappointed and had trouble sitting throung the end.

OK .. the movie has a phenomenal start, that's the reason I gave it 3 stars, and the scene of Frida's accident and her recovery in the hospital is what I could say was dircetorial genius and very very original. The problem, well it basically starts to fall flat as we watch Frida grow up to marry Diego Rivera ....

Both Frida and Diego really provide us with a clear cut image of a dysfunctional marriage of convenience and love that as strong as a mile wide river ... only problem is that the river is only 2 inches deep .... Diego is the ardent communist that is certainly more in love with the communist party and his art that he ever was with Frida ..... and ... while Frida did love Diego I can't really say that fidelity and abstinence was high on her list of priorities either ...

And that's the problem with the movie ... I just didn't walk away liking either character no matter how much the director wanted to portray them as free wheeling and free spirited communists .... trust me there is no such a thing .... you are either one or the other ...

Rating:
Summary: Frida
Review: Frida and Salma Hayek did good. This is a beautiful movie. It's weird and quirky and it will make some uncomfortable and disgusted. But in that it remains faithful to the artist. It does mainly explore the sensational side of Frida but then it is a movie after all. The aclaim this movie recieved was justified.

Rating:
Summary: Vibrant and Colorful!
Review: Frida should be celebrated for its fabulously colorful costumes and wonderful all-star cast alone. And of course, Salma Hayek in her amazing breakthrough performance is fantastic as bisexual Mexican artist Frida Kahlo--the film is engrossing and mesmerizing.

Shot in and around the Mexico City locations where Kahlo, her husband, Diego Rivera, and their lovers lived and played, "Frida" brilliantly captures the brightness of the light, the intensity of the colors and the omnipresence of Mexican motifs that informed Kahlo's art. Director Taymor has smartly avoided the traps that make so many films about artists irritating, and the even bigger traps inherent in a biopic of a figure like Kahlo, who became the center of a feverish Sylvia Plath-like victim-cult in the '80s. Taymor eschews the standard Kahlo martyrology, emphasizing instead her triumph over physical and emotional agony, her humor and joie de vivre. And she makes the love that Kahlo shared with Rivera the real subject of the story.

Taymor captures both the glamorous, deeply cosmopolitan milieu Kahlo and Rivera inhabited, and the importance Mexico had in the '30s for the international left. The only thing that lets down the feeling of authenticity is the odd accents adopted by cast members like Judd, Valeria Golino (who plays one of Rivera's ex-wives) and Geoffrey Rush.

Overall, however, this is an ultimate triumph for Hayek. Recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Visual Delight
Review: Very artistically created, a visual feast, the film is a delightful work of art. And Salma Hayek's portrayal is enchanting.

Rating:
Summary: Frida's Life EXPLODES on a Vibrant Screen!!!
Review: Julie Taymor truly fascinates me. I was blown away by her knockout film debut Titus, and now she has created this excellent follow up, Frida. I loved Frida's artwork and was very excited to see this film, and was there in the theater opening weekend. I have to say I was not let down at all. Most of the audience enjoyed the movie too from what I overheard after the film ended.

I loved the lush colors, as many other reviews has stated. But, a lot of the color schemes were beautiful as well. For example, the scene where Frida is in Paris with the singing woman (which she spent the night with) was excellent. I loved the washed golden pallet used for that part.

Also, the bus collision toward the films opening was perfectly done. I loved all the little details such as the blue bird, oranges, and gold. The shot of Frida covered in blood as the goled dust covered her was truly haunting. Other things were nice as well like the New York collage, and the way Frida's paintings blended into her real life showed the emotional aspect from where the artwork came from. One part that is truly heartbreaking was the painting with her in the back brace, when the stone pillar that represented her spine crackles into many disjointed sections, and water wells up in the paintings eyes like tears. Artwork like that packs a powerful punch.

True, it may seem that the movie is more of a "highlights" or "greatest hits" of Frida's life rather then a textured novel. The movie dances from one event to the other. But, then again, it probably felt that way to Frida herself.

On another note, Salma Hayek was excellent in this role. I remember during Oscar season when everyone said she was the first one out of the race for Best Actress. After watching this again, I storngly disagree. You can honestly see Frida morph from a young wild girl, into the artist and woman, and finally into a angry cripple that still retained her humor. Hayek did this role justice. I shudder to think that Madonna and Jennifer Lopez wanted to play the famed painter in competing projects.

Finally to round out this review I would like to compliment this wonderful 2 Disc Dvd set. Julie Taymor has embraced the format to full extent with Titus, and now with Frida. Nothing but top quality from her. Bravo!

Rating:
Summary: A Sexy, Stunning, Sensationalist and Very Satisfying BioPic
Review: Many people I know who are long-time admirers of the life and times of the great Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, have mixed feelings about this film. On one hand, they admire the way the whole film itself looks like some of her paintings, but they are upset with the fact that it focuses more on her sex life than anything else.
While this may be true, there are more than enough strong elements in this film to make it a dazzling success and, in my opinion, one of the best films of 2002.
Director Julie Taymor seems to have mastered the art of mise-en-scene with this film. Everything the viewer is subjected to is nothing short of stunning. Like Kahlo, Taymor uses a palate with so many different colors to shade this film.
Salma Hayek, who championed this project, gives the performance of her career. Whether she is playing the young, awkward, teenage Kahlo at the beginning of the film, the sassy and bold Kahlo in her twenties and thirties, or the frail, aging, yet determined Kahlo at the end of the film, Hayek is always convincing and intense.
As good as Hayek is, Alfred Molina, as Diego Rivera, all but steals the show. Molina has to be one of the most underrated actors out there. He perfectly captures the eccentric, moody, yet extremely lovable artist that Rivera was. Having put on tremendous weight for the role (or just wearing lots of padding), Molina portrays Rivera as an inspirational and lovable ladies man. How the Academy didn't even give him a nomination is beyond me.

Geoffrey Rush appears later in the film giving yet another excellent performance, this time as the Russian exile Trotsky. In addition, look for great cameos by the likes of Edward Norton, Ashley Judd and Antonio Banderas.
Some may be put off by FRIDA, thinking it to be just another biopic about a dead artist. This film is much more. Rivera was the communist party chairman for some time in Mexico and got into some trouble for his beliefs when he was in the US for a while, so besides giving the viewer insights to different aspects of Kahlo's life, this film also touches on the politics and history of not just Mexico, but the entire world during the 1930's and 1940's.
This is an important and daring film that comes off incredibly well. I highly recommend it!

Rating:
Summary: Painterly, Solid Biopic but Not the Last Word on Frida Kahlo
Review: "Frida" follows the life of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo from her university days in 1922 until her death in 1954. While still in school, Frida (Salma Hayek) is severely injured in a trolley accident from which she would never fully recover. She lived the rest of her life in pain as a result of the innumerable broken bones she suffered in that accident. Determined to earn a living in spite of her physical condition, she asks artist Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina) to tell her if her work is good enough to sell. Rivera admires Frida's work very much and takes her on, at first as a protege, then as a lover, then as a wife. The film follows Frida and Rivera's relationship over the course of 25 years of marriage, divorce, and remarriage. We witness Rivera's artistic success and then commercial failure in the United States. And we see Frida's success abroad and, finally, at home in Mexico as she always wished, but which came only shortly before her death. Frida Kahlo's life was haunted -if not consumed- by pain and loss. It was shaped by a fateful accident in her youth. Ironically, if not for the accident, she probably would never have painted. And since she did, we can see the conditions under which she lived expressed in her many paintings.

"Frida" is based on Hayden Herrera's biography of Frida Kahlo and is filmed in a largely conventional biopic style in spite of its unconventional subject. At times, Salma Hayek is admirable in her ability to convey how much Frida Kahlo's constant physical pain shaped her life and work. At other times, Hayek's Frida is too agile to be a self-described cripple. The film does not shy away from depicting Diego Rivera's or Frida Kahlo's Marxist political convictions. But it does place Diego Rivera in a more sympathetic light than I usually see him described. I was under the impression that he was considerably more self-obsessed and dogmatic than he is in "Frida". But I find no fault with Rivera's character in the movie since the film sees Rivera through his wife's eyes, which love may have blinded to some of his faults. Salma Hayek is a great admirer of Frida Kahlo and produced "Frida" herself. Many of her Hollywood friends contributed by taking small roles in the film. Edward Norton appears as Nelson Rockafeller, Ashley Judd as photographer Tina Modotti, and Antonio Banderas as David Alfaro Siqueiros. This film doesn't come close to painting a complete picture of Frida Kahlo's character. But it is a solid effort that attempts to bring Kahlo's work to a wider audience. I recommend "Frida" for Salma Hayek's solid -although overtly self-promoting- performance and for the insight it provides into Frida's Kahlo's work.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful biopic
Review: I think that this is the most underrated movie of the year! This movie was a wonderful interpretation of an artists life. Selma Hayek was wondeful in the film and fully deserved he nomination, maybe even the win (I have seen all performances except Nicole Kidman's, but this one is by far the best). The real surprise to me was the fact that Alfred Molina did not recive an Oscar nomination for the movie. He was wonderful as Diego Rivera. If there was a weak link in this film, It would be Ashley Judd. I really could not see why they picked her for the role. But, she only had one big scene in the film so it was not so bad. Antonio Banderas was only in one scene, but he played his part very well. As with Edward Norton, he played very nicely as the man who hired Diego to paint the mural in New York in a small but crucial role. Geoffery Rush gave a wonderful performance as the man who had fled from Russia into the home of Frida's father.

This movie also had wonderful music, art design and direction by Julie Taymor(who directed The Lion King on Broadway). All in all, this was a wonderful film.

Rating:
Summary: 'Lovely to look at, empty to hold'
Review: FRIDA has all the ingredients of a spectacular film - magnificent color, innovative visual effects and directorial decisions by Julie Taymor, "names" of some big stars in the business, a powerfuly evocative musical score, and grand swatch of Mexican history as seen through the eyes of the Communists in the first part of the last century. Alfred Molina takes center stage in this FRIDA as a thoroughly well-realized Diego Rivera, and while Salma Hayek has good moments she is restricted by a script which is corny and hackneyed. The "big names" include Antonio Banderas, Ashley Judd, Geoffrey Rush and Edward Norton - each given literally a few minutes of screen time. They are good, but the parts (aside from Rush's Trotsky) are so minimal that they could have easily been played by novices. The beauties of this film are in the visual effects - Frida Kahlo's paintings 'coming alive' or reconstructing from life experiences. And there are moments that are lushly beautiful and touching (the dance between Hayek and Judd for example). But overall there is a lack of the spirit of Frida Kahlo - a woman unique among artists. Hayek tries hard, but opts for the beautiful Salma more than the pathetically pained Frida. The Disc of featurettes is worth your time. AND Julie Taymor is definitely a talent to contend with!

Rating:
Summary: Salma Had A Winner With This One!!!
Review: All I can say is after viewing this film, I cannot understand why Hollywood does not embrace Salma more! She's stunningly beautiful and a multi-talented actress to boot!
Thank God it was her that brought this film to life and not some of the others who had plans for it like Madonna! Good God! I could imagine what she would have done to this story!
But Salma should be congratulated for having the chutzpa to persist with her dream and vision! She gave us a winner. I saw this when it was in the theatre, and was truly moved by it.
The story of Frida is a beautful tragic one and it's told perfectly here. The colors are rich. The blends of Frida's paintings, particularly at the end, make the viewer really understand the pain that Frida felt in her body, and how it transferred itself to the canvas!
I'm so glad this film got made! Do yourself a favor and get this film! You will not be sorry!