Bold and passionate, as colorful and flavorful as the lives of frida and rivera. the actors are pretty good but the real star of the movie is julie taymor the director. like orson welles, taymor has a background in theatre and burns with ingenuity, wit, and energy. she's unapologetic about her wild expressive style but more crucially, her art derives from a sense of the sacred, from the primordial core from which all creativity springs forth. we need this woman of great spirit when what passes for visual expression today are mtv imagery, rampant CGI, or bloated recycled cliches drenched in blood. … Expand

Great movie. Still, my hopes about this film were not high, so I can even say I enjoyed. Selma Hayek surprised me, positively. I did not expect her to be convincing enough, but she actually made me believe that she is Frida. Alfred Molina also seems to be good choice for the role of Diego Rivera. This movie is not just for Frida Kahlo fans and admirers, everybody should give it a chance.

You will be glad when you do not pay attention to the critics who gave low ratings and go see Frida. It is a decent story about two extremely interesting people filmed in several creative ways. Go with someone whose insight you repect because there will be elements from the movie you will want to discuss. Biography constrains the filmmaker to reality, but Taymor did very creditably with two very complex lives. … Expand

"Frida" is an ostentatious stage production on film -- too much singing, too much dancing, too many theatrics. Alfred Molina was miscast as Frida Kahlo's husband, the revolutionary Mexican artist, Diego Rivera. Molina's portrayal was cartoon-like; it exuded none of the charisma, dignity, or passion central to Diego Rivera's character. While Salma Hayek's interpretation of Frida was more believable -- I felt the physical torture and emotional pathos she exuded -- the true spiritual depths of both Kahlo and Rivera were "glossed over." The film lacked soul and seemed to have been scripted by someone who has been shielded from the agonies and trauma of common people. Though there were a few parts of this puzzle-like movie that I liked, I ultimately left the theater feeling unfulfilled, as if I had been "had," and wanting my money back.… Expand

I was visually seduced by the visions created on the screen by Taymor. That in itself was sheer entertainment. The script and the depiction of the true essence of the artists, their relationship, and the stormy politics they embraced failed to match the beauty of what I saw on the screen. I got a sense of who Frida Kahlo was, more than I ever did seeing movie bio's before i.e. Van Gogh, Lautrec, Tschaikowsky, Gerswin, but never expected a PBS documentary. Taymor concoted a sugar coated product, never fully delving into the extreme complexities of the characters and their politics, YET I was thoroughly entertained. You want a bio that the critics love?, it's Auto Focus, the life and sexual aberration's of Bob Crane. Intense, disturbing, well scripted, but I was far from entertained. I adored "Lion King", and found the score and script mundane. Lets see more from Taymor and see where she goes next.… Expand

Only a Frida Kahlo aficionado would know if Selma Hayek brought the artist to life. To the culturally challenged, we see an actress who looks radiant in the clothes and can emote convincingly when the story calls for it. All that's missing from Hayek's performance is an extended scene where we see Kahlo at work. In "Pollock", Ed Harris convinces us that he can paint. "Frida", albeit more conventional in its storytelling, is undeniably entertaining, even though we watch with suspicion, that perhaps the movie star had more power than the director. This isn't "Mission Impossible 2", but if anybody saw "Titus", you know that Julie Taymor's claws aren't at full length. But despite such reservations, this somewhat shallow movie is passionate. It might be the most underrated of 2002.… Expand

Visual Opera: stunning in the fullest sense of the word.

Perhaps more than anyone out there I wanted this movie to be great. I admired everyone attached to the project, and I have been a fan of Frida Kahlo's work for well over a decade now. Unfortunately this movie tried to hard to portray Kahlo as a figure without flaw, as someone who treated adversities as a child would a christmas present under the tree. Having read much on Kahlo, including personal letters she wrote I can say for sure that she was not at all the charater portrayed by Salma Hayek, although her performance was powerful, it was not truthful. Kahlo's crippling accident on the train is the perfect example of how this film deified it's lead. The over the top stylized image of gold dust floating down on the injured Kahlo strips the moment of any real trama, it depicts the accident as a mirraculous gift bestowed upon her. Kahlo's work portrayed her anger and fears as well as her strength, strength which she developed as she learned to deal with what had happened to her. This movie would have you believe that Kahlo was always the same tour de force throughout her life. The movie would have been much better had it shown as a true portrait of Kahlo, a woman who suffered greatly and found strength in her will not to just give up. This kind of growth is the stuff that good drama is made of Kahlo's life had it all, then the makers of this movie drained her of it, making her awesome achievments seem all the more diminished for it.… Expand

Really didn't know what the story was about or where it was going until the very end. Being familiar with the reserve inherent in Latin domestic relations, I found their conversion to Hollywood standards inaccurate and offensive. I did develop an appreciation of Kahlo's art, which was obviously deeper and more substantial than this movie. Despite having no major problems, the film refuses to be good. It restricts itself to sketching out only the factual elements, then fills them in with a deep rich shade of B.S.… Expand

Outstanding collaborative work of director, cinematographer, actors and the many many others that give this film its exquisite flavor and poignant moments of the pain and passion of Frida Kahlo. It is unfortunate that the critics betrayed the film's potential to enlighten gringo audiences to the wonder and beauty of Mexico and fascinating layers of its complex history. See it, please. You'll want to read and see more.… Expand

Not sure why this movie is getting such lousy reviews-most reviewers speak to what is lacking in the film-this is a film worth watching if only for its vivid portrayals of characters larger than life. Really you only have an hour and a bit to look at the WHOLE life of an artist and in that respect this film speaks volumes.

Visually brilliant (or at least seriously retinal), narratively conventional. Not enough sense of Frida's work or who she was, apart from complicated mentor/muse involvement with Diego Rivera. The actress who plays Frida's sister (who sleeps with Rivera too--but her character's set up as masochistic) is memorably beautiful. Kudos to Salma for the good try, but something was missing.… Expand

Don't pay attention to those who are saying "don't go to see Frida" 'cause they're wrong, the final opinion is yours. The whole picture is a beatiful (but must say a little bit "hollywood kind of") portrait of Frida Khalo and Diego Rivera love story wich gave Frida Khalo in real life the reason to die yet the strenght to live; Frida gives a perfect intro to those who are interested in knowing better Khalo's life. For the acting and visual part is an excellent film that you must see.… Expand

An excellent biopic. It tells the story of Frida's life from her point of view. The director creates some surreal imagery that is reminiscent of some of Frida's paintings, attempting to give us a view of how Frida experienced life, using her paintings as a window into her mind. The facts and accuracy of the film are less important than this, more personal, experiential, aspect of the film. Much more than just a biography of Frida.… Expand

This move is superficial, pretentious, and narcissistic. But what really makes the film such a painful experience to watch is that it is just downright boring. Instead of a human story, we are presented with a series of tedious skits and cliches about artists, socialism, infidelity, and bisexuality. The writing is just plain awful.

Great performance by Salma Haykek and molina. A gorgeous film!

Great movie if you know about feelings and History.

An excellent picture sthat portrays mexican most notorious painters, Although in the movie she is overshadowed by her husband like in real life. All in all an excellent fil worth your money and time.