The relationship between Mexican painters Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo is much mythologized and remains a powerful story that has fascinated generations. The same can be said about the entire Mexican art and political scene of the first half of the 20th century, with figures like Rivera, Kahlo, photographer Tina Modotti and Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky co-mingling at parties and Communist Party events.
This intersection of love, art, politics, drama, history and famous people of all stripes is clearly perfect for a film. It's too bad that "Frida," directed by Julie Taymor, doesn't do a better job of it. Rendered in broad brushstrokes, "Frida" hops from episode to episode, rarely scratching the surface.
Rivera (Alfred Molina) is an inveterate womanizer and his third wife Kahlo (Salma Hayek), like her predecessor Lupe Marin (Valeria Golino) seems to be OK with that, although we never seem to understand why. And, although Rivera tells Frida that she paints from the heart and we get some dramatic scenes of her painting after tragic moments in her life, that hardly opens a telling window on how and why she created some of the most original and unusual work of the century.
At art school, Frida sees Diego painting a mural and seducing his model. She also sees Lupe explode and tell Diego not to return home. A little foreshadowing there.
Frida is then in a trolley accident that causes what appears to be irreparable damage. But, miraculously, she not only lives, she manages to walk again; something doctors have pretty much ruled out.
Frida seeks out Diego for his opinion on her paintings. They become friends, then lovers, then man and wife. They go to lavish parties held by the Italian-born photographer Tina Modotti (although Ashley Judd's portrayal of a glamorous society girl seems at odds with how Modotti is normally described) and they -- or at least Diego -- seem to have a hotline to the office of the Mexican president.
{INSERT_RELATED}Diego goes to New York for a one-man exhibition at the Modern and also gets commissions around the country, including a famously controversial one for Nelson Rockefeller (Edward Norton). Frida sells a few paintings, although we don't find this out until later, after her career has unexplainedly taken off.
All the while, Diego is sowing his proverbial wild oats with women, and Frida is doing the same. Until, that is, Diego makes a fatal seduction and the couple's relationship is shattered. Then Trotsky (Geoffrey Rush), fleeing Stalinist assassins, arrives.
Steamy and tinged with some wacky special effects, "Frida" feels more like a visual timeline than a revealing drama, despite some touching moments. The performances are able if not especially inspiring, although the costumes, sets and locations are vivid and alluring.
An artist as daring, revolutionary and exploratory as Frida Kahlo deserves a more adventurous and hard-hitting biopic. After this mild-mannered drama, one can only hope that the much-threatened Tina Modotti pic never actually materializes. At least let her rest in peace ... please.
"Frida" opens Fri., Nov. 8 at Landmark's Downer Theatre.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
