A truly
amazing and artful piece of work, Julie Taymor’s Frida is
an astounding cinematic breakthrough, creatively comprised of a
witty ingeniousness. Lavishly colorful and stylishly out
bursting, this is a film that is simply beautiful to watch,
because of the richness of what’s onscreen. In a time where
special effects consume the movie industry and big-budgets are
common, it’s nice to see a lower-budget film be as visually
magical as one of Hollywood’s giant, moneymaking extravaganzas.
Frida Kahlo, the amazing woman in which the film chronicles, was
an outstanding artist. The simple beauty of her work is
reflected in Frida, with the visionary art direction by
Bernardo Trujillo, to thank. Stunning performances, outstanding
direction, wondrous cinematography, and a magical script are
what Frida thrives on. This is a masterful film, lively
and energetic in it’s every move, and is one of the best of the
year.
The life
of Frida Kahlo is an intriguing one. The film begins in Mexico
City, in 1922, when Frida (Salma Hayek), a schoolgirl, and her
friends, are spying on Mexican painter Diego Rivera (Alfred
Molina), as he creates a mural of a naked woman. There is a
woman posing for him, and naturally, her male friends would like
to watch this man and his model for an eternity. But, seeing
that they cannot miss the trolley to get home, Frida and her
boyfriend, Alex (Diego Luna), try to creep out of the large
auditorium with their friends without him noticing. Diego
discovers them, and threatens to shoot them from a distance, but
they are able to get away. Frida and Alex barely make the
trolley. They hop on, and are off on their way home. But, when
boarding the trolley, Frida would not know that the ride will
drastically change her life in the future. In reckless traffic,
rapidly swerving every which way on the road, the trolley
crashes. Frida, unluckily, gets the worst of it. During the
crash, her backbone is shattered, and a steel rod pierces her
body.
This
brutal injury, which sends her into a deep sleep for two weeks,
affects Frida for the rest of her lifetime. After finally
gaining the strength to be able to walk, much of her social hope
has already been lost. Her boyfriend has left the city, and she
feels a great amount of desolate despair. But there is one thing
that she always stays true to, her artwork. Continuously
painting with true feeling and emotion, Frida metaphorically
combines the emotions she confronts and the bitter taste of
reality. In need of an honest opinion on her paintings, Frida
consults the man that she unkindly spied on before the accident,
Diego Rivera. Very apprehensive at first, Diego doesn’t exactly
feel like looking at this young schoolgirl’s work. But, when he
finally does, a whole new world is left open to him. Frida and
Diego become partners, share experiences, and examine each
others work. As time moves on, the couple becomes intimate.
Though Diego has divorced twice before, Frida takes her chances
and marries her inspiration, and lover. Their lives unravel
beautifully amidst a beautifully flowing and divinely catchy
score by master composer Elliot Goldenthal.
Frida
is a film, made mystical simply by the way it looks. The
cinematography, art direction, make up, costume design, and set
design are all masterfully done. Each shot is posed with such a
distinct delicacy; each scene stands its own unique,
distinguished individual. The camera elegantly pans in and out,
with rapidly furious movement, making Frida a
full-fledged extravaganza of pure, simple goodness. The costumes
and makeup are both authentic and eye-pleasing. The intricate
designs and richly colorful fabrics look like flowers amongst a
beautiful garden, for the old-style view of Mexico City is a
gorgeous and cultural look at beauty. This is where the
visionary and stunning sets come in handy. The decorations,
vibe, and mood of each scene, set by these sets and sceneries,
are amazing. This is a film of exuberantly flowing, wondrous
exercises in profoundly artful cinema, exhibited through a
masterful work. This is a miraculous film about a miraculous
person. I was overjoyed while watching it, and I am overjoyed by
thinking about it. Frida accomplishes everything a great
movie should.
The
ensemble, color, writing, and makeup are just a few of the
hundreds of beautiful things in Frida that naturally and
vividly paint a portrait of excellent cinema. This amazing work
of art is passionate, and we can clearly sense the intimate and
graceful style that it was made in, while watching it. Similar
to this year’s Road to Perdition, Frida simply
works because of the way it looks. Everything else is
technically sound, but the one aspect of the film that we
forever gaze at, is the mystifyingly daring visuals. These are
hauntingly unforgettable. We experience the emotions of the
characters, and as the film moves, become deeply aroused in
them. Shocking, sadistic, sexy, and well-crafted, Frida
is nothing short of a masterpiece. Director Julie Taymor clearly
shows us what film is about—the beauty and wonder left in the
world.
-Danny, Bucket Reviews