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Frida

Frida

List Price: $19.99
Your Price: $14.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Lush drama of Frida Kahlo, muralist Diego Rivera's wife
Review: The tempestuous story of the life of Frida Kahlo, Mexican flamboyant and surrealist painter, and Diego Rivera, her brilliant womanizing husband. Salma Hayek is perfectly cast in this sumptuous film that chronicles her own revolutionary behavior, not just politically but also sexually, especially given the era in which she lived. Beautiful cinematography renders a crippling trolley accident vividly real on the screen, while turning a trip to NY into a cartoon-ish sequence.
Wonderful.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Boo. This should have been SO much better. It did try
Review: This is a bad film on a great subject, Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, whose surrealistic self-portraits were ground-breaking art. Groundbreaking and more significant in fact, than the art of Diego Riviera, whom she married and whose story shares the screen here. "Blue House" it is not, meaning, in Kaholist terms, not having artistic merit.

The script is what's at fault. And I had some quibbles about the stylistic use of animation for the nightmare scenes of Kahlo's operation after her horrendous bus accident; after the brilliant scene staging her impaled body, spackled with gold leaf in a setting very like a Kahlo painting, the following Tim Burtonesque El Dio de Muerte operation room was jarring. It could have been done with animation, perhaps more surrealistic and less horror-cartoon. It didn't work for me visually, though I applauded the concept.

There is plenty of sex, including a hot scene with Kahlo doing a tango with another woman, showing her bisexual side. And Salma Hayek obligingly takes off her clothes frequently enough to keep any male viewers not into "chick flicks" happy enough to prevent loud sighs of boredom. The cast is good, Alfred Molina, a cameo with Antonio Banderas and more, But if you expected a well-told tale and tight script, look elsewhere. This was an utter waste of a stunning story, and I was completely disappointed.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Beautiful movie - but a Hollywood spin on the real Frida
Review: This is a beautifully acted, colorful, exuberant movie. But anyone who wants to learn about the gruff and disturbing real life of Frida, needs to seek out the truth elsewhere. This was just too pretty in every sense.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: More nudity please
Review: Overall this was a surprisingly good movie, not only in chronicling Frida's extraordinary life, but also in showcasing Salma Hayek's aesthetic curves. And let's make no mistake about it, Hayek deliberately gives the audience an eyeful on several occasions. Much like the artist herself, Frida is impassioned and fiery. The only disappointment was its failure to elaborate on Frida's encounter with Josephine Baker. Perhaps there will be a director's cut.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Movie/DVD That Stays With you
Review: Frida is a haunting character and the movie has scenes and characters that keep coming back to you long after you've seen it. I am completely taken with Julie Taymore after seeing her interviews with Bill Moyer and the AFI on the DVD's Features segments. Totally fascinating hearing her describe her vision of Frida and how she made the movie of her life. Supporting cast is excellant also....very believable and memorable.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Passion that Shows
Review: Salma Hayek goes very quickly from Tarantino eye candy to serious actress/filmmaker with FRIDA. At first I thought she was too beautiful to play Frida but, with the exception of her nude scene when you see what a gorgeous woman she is, she completely inhabits the pain and despair of her character.

And this film really deepened my appreciation for Alfred Molina. What a great actor. He totally brings Diego Rivera to life.
(I remember Molina getting killed by bamboo spikes in the opening of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK--yeah, that was him! He was also in CHOCOLAT with Johnny Depp, PRICK UP YOUR EYES with Gary Oldman. I just saw him in LUTHER with Joseph Fiennes and Peter Ustinov. The guy's great and he's been in more than you think. Plus, you'll see him as Doctor Octopus in the next SPIDERMAN).

One of the main reasons I saw this film was that it had been directed by Julie Taymor. If you liked FRIDA, see what she does with Shakespeare's TITUS with Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange. She has a very unique, vibrant style.

When I first started watching FRIDA, I thought of another film about a woman suffering at the hands of a great artist: SURVIVING PICASSO. I found that film interesting but ultimately dry. Picasso came off as such a thoroughly egotistical, selfish man, I found it hard to care about him.
But, by the end of FRIDA, I felt quite a bit for both Frida and Diego. Their story was much more touching. It made me feel that the ending was a bit abrupt and, even though it was hardly a short movie, I wanted more.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: beauty and capability
Review: Captured by the beautiful image on this cover grabed a copy of the shelf and read precise on the back.Mmmm not a bad sort of story, a little different to the harry average beauty queen gunk.
Had never seen this actress ACTING before and didn't expect much UNTIL her fantastic portrayal of a school girl running through one of the sequences. It took me back to my teenage years her energy and facial expression brilliantly portrayed. Her torturing relationship drew emotion from me both fierce and sympathetic. The pain of injury making you wince as you see a strong character making every effort to cope. Defineately one I am recommending.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great movie.
Review: I think it's admirable that someone finally made a new film about Frida, geared towards the general public. It's a wonderful film, full of music, light, love, and pain in the midst of things.

I think "Frida" really captures the essence of the life and times of the artists in those days, and I really loved this movie.

I would recommend this film to anyone who likes movies about famous artists, and/or just creative people who liked to rebel against the norms of society. It is not for those who expect a really intellectual movie about Frida Kahlo. This is entertainment, after all.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Fun colors, dull script
Review: This is a very visually appealing film. And I can see why, since it's you know, about painters and all. Alfred Molina gives a great performance as Diego & Salma is a fair (although too pretty) Frida. Let me say that I think Frida Kahlo is a dreadful painter (the Sharon Olds of painting) who can't get beyond herself, has little to no range and is self-centered and annoying. She wasn't even good with texture. Diego was a much better painter. But since I'm here to review the film, I really get annoyed when films about artists portray them as geniuses simply for marketing purposes. I enjoyed watching the film, but felt some of the music to be too pretentious (like when she cuts her hair- very melodramatic). Overall, this is a nice-to-look-at movie with little insight into the characters.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Film, Excellent Actors!
Review: This is an amazing film. I fell in love with it...I always thougth Salma Hayek was very good, but with this film she is one of the top! Frida Kahlo's Life was beautiful, sad and exciting and the way they presented it in the movie was wonderful.

Thank you to all the artist that were in the movie for such an excellent film.


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