Frida (R, 2002)

FRIDA is a vivid cinematic rendering of the life of artist Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek). Dying at 47, Frida's life was one filled with tragedy and turmoil far beyond her years. While undoubtedly helping to fuel her passion for painting, her relationship with fellow artist, husband, and sometimes mentor Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina) is portrayed as tortuous on many levels -- most prominently his inability to commit to a monogamous relationship. Of course, Frida is shown to follow his lead with both extramarital female partners and male partners, including Soviet political exile Leon Trotsky (Geoffrey Rush).

The time period of Frida's life is one of great political strife and revolutionary ideals in Mexico, and the film seethes with the fervor of unrest. Her artwork is vividly woven into the film through digital transitions that seem to bring her paintings to life at times, or else incorporate her visual motifs into powerful dream sequences. While it will captivate any viewer with even a passing interest in understanding the fevered lives of such great artists, the film does have one fairly substantial flaw.

For as much as Frida's tribulations are presented, Hayek is just too effervescent to be convincingly debilitated through most of the film. While in the end -- when her infirmities finally catch up to her -- her demise is still believable, until then, it can be rather easy to forget the physical maladies that played such an integral role in forging the character of Frida's work.