Movie Review: Frida
What We Liked
What We Didn't Like
Not to be confused with the 2002 narrative film by director Julie Taymor, starring Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina as Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera of the same name, the new documentary Frida is an honest and lovingly constructed film that brings to the forefront the far-reaching influence of Kahlo and her work, further solidifying her status as an artist of singular importance.
The film is narrated by Fernanda Echevarría, performing as Frida Kahlo reading from her diary, letters, essays, and various printed interviews. This approach, when presented alongside the vivid animations of Kahlo’s work breathes an extraordinary amount of life into an already extraordinary life. The story unfolds as both a raw and methodical journey throughout Kahlo’s life that never strays from the central through line of her search for beauty through art.
Carla Gutierrez makes an impressive directorial debut with Frida after amassing an astonishingly impressive resume of credits as an editor (including, but not limited to, the likes of Julia [2021] and RBG [2018] – she also serves as editor here as well). There is clearly a love of the subject present throughout this film that allows the viewer to engage in it more fully than if it had been carried through with a different approach.
Augmented with historical footage and photographs, the film becomes a treasure trove of artifacts for the art lover (or even the casual observer interested in learning about Kahlo’s work and subsequent influence). The autobiographical approach creates a narrative flow to the documentary that makes it feel less like a typical film of this ilk and more of surrealistic examination of the artist and her art. As it plays out, there is a definite feeling that Kahlo might have approved of this approach herself.
Without a doubt, Frida plays out like a crash course in the artist Frida Kahlo and what drove her as well as what sustained her throughout her life. It would be hard to imagine someone having seen this film and not coming away with a heightened appreciation for the artist and her work.
Mike Tyrkus
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