Item #: 7502DVD Category: ART? Format: DVD MPAA Rating: R

Woolly Rating: 5/10 (43 votes)

MEMBER COMMENTS ON THIS VIDEO

Kevin Rayburn

Apr 28, 2004 @ 11:43:59

Miramaxified Biopic
Movies nearly always do a poor job at capturing the essence of a life, and biopics in general tend to produce the most problemmatic and least artistically successful films. The amount of narrative compression involved usually results in episodic straightforward chronologies; a greatest hits collage that depends on iconography and feels superficial. "Frida" pretty much follows this standard arc; even when it's trying to be visually bold and trying to weave the connections between the inner life of the artist and art. Although I've seen several good documentaries on art and artists, only one fictionalized treatment comes to mind that truly plumbed the psyche and style of its subject: the 1974 Norwegian film "Edvard Munch" directed by Peter Watkins. A copy of this film is available at the Louisville Free Public Library. "Frida" is a labor of love between its star Selma Hayek and director Julie Taymor. The latter provides some nice visual fireworks and the former provides eye candy and admirable lead intensity. But Alfred Molina steals the show as Diego Rivera. The 1930's Diego Rivera/Rockefeller incident at Rockefeller Plaza is yet again re-enacted as it was in 1999's "Cradle Will Rock." The film is watchable for a lot of reasons, but ultimately superficial in the usual Miramaxified way. Not a must, but a good diversion. ** Frida reviewed 2004 by K. Rayburn

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