Movie Review: Frida

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.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com

An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

@miketyrkus

Mike Tyrkus

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