La Pintora

Frida is itself a work of art. Director Julie Taymor made sure to tell the story of famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo in a visually artistic way. I was well aware of Frida Kahlo both for her paintings and her unibrow. She was known for self-portraits and surrealism that didn’t fully take off until after her death. A movie about Kahlo was considered as early as the 1980’s, but every actress they chose was non-Mexican. Salma Hayek was born to play Frida Kahlo. She practically disappeared behind the unibrow and earned her only Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Best Art Direction, Costume Design, and Original Song were worthy nominations as well, but Frida deserved to win for Best Makeup and Original Score.

Frida starts painting after she suffers a crippling injury in a bus crash. I didn’t know about her chronic pain, but I knew her life was intertwined with fellow painter Diego Rivera. Alfred Molina put on a lot of weight and made a big impact as muralist and outspoken communist Diego. I didn’t know about Kahlo’s controversial revolutionist views, but I knew about her bisexuality. Frida is surprisingly erotic with several nude scenes. Though they fall in love and marry twice, Diego has numerous affairs. Frida does the same with men and women. Ashley Judd plays activist Tina Modotti whom she shares a suggestive dance with. She’s also seen with an American woman and Josephine Baker in Paris.

Diego Luna plays her first male lover Alejandro who was on the streetcar during the accident. Geoffrey Rush plays Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky who sought political asylum at Kahlo’s home and had an affair with her. She has a good relationship with her late mother and German-Jewish father played by Roger Rees. Mía Maestro plays Frida’s sister and frequent subject Christina who loses her trust after an affair. Valeria Golino plays Diego’s ex-wife Lupe Marin who becomes an unlikely friend. Antonio Banderas and Edward Norton make surprise appearances as outspoken muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros and mural commissioner Nelson Rockefeller respectively. Despite numerous health problems and personal turmoil, Frida continues to paint until the end. Frida paints an endearing picture of an artist in pain.

Frida Kahlo in bed