writing - visual - misc - huh?
frida is one of those rare films i wanted to see in the theatre. i didn't. i suspect some of its visual impact was lost while watching it at home.
salma hayek, by the sounds of it, spent a long time getting this movie into the hands of a competent director (julie taymor). probably a good career move since the character of frida kahlo is, after all, extremely fit for cinema. sex, substance abuse, and the agressive flamboyancy of frida's personality all work for a popular film.
initially, hayek's personality grated on me. the character felt flat and the dialogue tasted like cardboard. as the story progressed this disappeared, with hayek transforming into the character. i don't know if this had something to do with my suspending belief, but i accepted hayeks' performance in the end as genuine. maybe it was the obvious earnestness she came to the role with.
alfred molina plays the larger than life diego rivera, frida's on again off again husband. in the film he's portrayed as a renowned womanizer and up to his neck in communist politics. taymor was criticized for being too nice on the guy. i'd say the film was pretty harsh, still, towards rivera. he ends up sleeping with frida's sister and generally makes her life hell. frida is no saint, either, though, so it is difficult to know where to place one's sympathies (if one should have them at all).
some strange bits include the delightful geoffrey rush as trotsky (whom frida had a brief affair with - i thought they must have made that one up, but sure enough she did), and antonio banderas, edward norton and ashely judd in smaller roles. i couldn't help feeling rush wasn't too great as trotsky, but i'm still undecided as to why. maybe it's just because he's so damn recognizable and distinctive.
the visual feel of the film was lush, and the use of colour throughout was absolutely delectable. some of those blues and reds made my mouth water.
i wonder if this film suffered from the sheer volume of producers (7 producers, 1 co-producer, and 6 executive-producers). the number of hands in the honey pot seems inordinantly high. i can't think of another film in recent memory with so many producers. could this have diluted the original vision?
regardless, hayek is a firecracker whose presence and portrayal do justice to the tumultuous and energetic life of an innovative painter.