Salma Hayek's turn as Frida Kahlo was, in many ways, as tumultuous as the life which the biopic is about. Despite challenges for the role from Madonna and Jennifer Lopez and numerous rewrites (the final one coming from boyfriend Edward Norton), \Frida"" finally reached theaters. The result is visually appealing but occasionally lacks direction, delivering a movie that is very episodic in nature.
""Frida"" is a character study of painter Frida Kahlo. The film covers various peaks in her life, starting in 1922. Numerous characters cross her path, including Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina), Leon Trotsky (Geoffrey Rush) and Nelson Rockefeller (Edward Norton). Rivera, the primary love interest in her life, serves as one of the strongest characters in the movie.
The film travels through some interesting themes, especially those involving Rivera and Kahlo's relationship. The two agree to a marriage described as ""not faithful, but loyal."" Their decision to turn away from sexual fidelity ends up failing. Despite the agreement, jealousy still sets in.
Another captivating theme is Kahlo's near-death injury in a trolley accident. For the rest of her life, she's plagued with pain. Director Julie Taymor delivers some apt images to visually comment on Frida's struggle against the injury. This struggle takes place in her art'in fact, her art is the only way to escape her pain.
Though the film contains strong performances from Molina and Hayek and some wonderful direction from Taymor, the script is less than ideal. Given the vast amount of experiences contained in Kahlo's life, the script pales in comparison to what could have been written. While Edward Norton is to be commended for making major and necessary revisions for free, the film would have benefitted from a proper writing team starting from scratch.
p
'William Temby
