Early into Frida Kahlo’s cinematic story, the screen is vividly painted with blood and gold dust. It’s a fitting introduction to an artist who’s life was filled with as many rich experiences as it was with physical and emotional pain. Frida is an adequate overview for beginning to understand the personal and cultural turmoils that shaped Kahlo’s art, even though Salma Hayek as the lead rarely convincingly emotes the pain that’s referred to so heavily in the film. Not to say Hayek isn’t engrossing or entirely enjoyable…she looks like she’s having the time of her life, and it’s easy to get caught up in her excitement. I would have liked to have seen more of Kahlo’s art in the context of key periods of her life, but a few imaginative fantasy scenes do a great job of visualizing her possible inspirations. Every shot is gorgeously colored to fit the mood, and the pacing leaves you breathless as Frida’s many adventures are distilled to two hours.

There are no comments yet. You could be the first!