Frida (2002) - Hayek, Molina shine in Taymor's excellent biopic

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Salma Hayek looks stunning on this invitingly colored and balanced poster for Julie Taymor's Frida, which mirrors the painting style of the title character

During the first half of the 20th century, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo is made an invalid in a bus accident at age 18, meets the love of her life, the unfaithful Diego, and becomes a great artist.

Frida is written by Clancy Sigal (In Love and War (1996)), Diane Lake, Gregory Nava (Selena (1997)) and Anna Thomas (The End of August (1981)), based on the book Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo (1983) by Hayden Herrera, and directed by great Massachuetts-born filmmaker Julie Taymor (Titus (1999)).
It is a sensually dense, bubbling, inspired film with fantastic photography by Rodrigo Prieto (A Study in Gravity (2013)). It is impressively staged and scored with wonderful, often painful music by Elliot Goldenthal (Heat (1995)).
Centrally stands two major dramatic performances: Salma Hayek (No One Writes to the Colonel/El Coronel no Tiene quien le Escriba (1999)) arguably in the best role of her career, and Alfred Molina (Return to Zero (2014)), perhaps also in his best. Kahlo's art is utilized most inventively in the storytelling of Frida. It is a splendid film.

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 12 mil. $
Box office: 56.2 mil. $
= Big hit (returned 4.68 times its cost)
[Frida premiered 29 August (Venice Film Festival, Italy) and runs 123 minutes. Herrera's book was optioned in 1988, and the film was thus underway for more than a decade, before it reached fruition. Molina gained 35 pounds for his role in the film. Shooting took place in Mexico, including Mexico City, in and around March 2001. The film opened #31 to a 205k $ first weekend in 5 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #9 and in 794 theaters (different weeks) and grossed 25.8 mil. $ (45.9 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 6 mil. $ (10.7 %) and Mexico with 3.5 mil. $ (6.2 %). The film was nominated for 6 Oscars, winning 2, for Best Score and Makeup. It lost Best Actress to Nicole Kidman in The Hours, Art/set Direction to Chicago, Costume Design to Chicago, and Song (Burn It Blue by Goldenthal and Taymor) to Lose Yourself from 8 Mile. The film also won 1/2 Golden Globe nominations, 1/4 BAFTAs, an AFI award, a National Board of Review award and many other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, equal to its rating here. During the #MeToo hullaballoo, Hayek came forth in 2017 and accused distributing executive producer Harvey Weinstein of trying to get sexual favors from her during production of Frida, as well as pressuring her into accepting performing in a 'gratuitous' sex scene. Taymor returned with Across the Universe (2007)). Hayek returned in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003), Molina in Undertaking Betty/Plots with a View (2002). Frida is certified fresh at 75 % with a 6.87/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Frida?