Based on Hayden Herrera's book 'FRIDA'; a biography of the famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, the movie begins in true bio-pic fashion by showing Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek), on the verge of checking out, before it flashes back to 1922 Mexico City, where the young artist is portrayed as a free spirited, sexually ambiguous student, who is the daughter of a German Jewish photographer and a Mexican mother.

It is an ill fated bus accident that transformed her life, which also shattered her skeleton. She was told that she will never walk again. During the months of surgery and recovery Frida takes up painting, particularly self-portraits expressing her passion and pain, from her bed.

Once she could walk, she took her work to celebrated Mexican muralist Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina) for a critique. They fall in love, marry and become a key couple in Mexico City's world of wealthy. The turbulent relationship between the much older Rivera; a born womaniser and the liberated bisexual Frida, their life as celebrities and the encounters with impressive historical figures such as communist Leon Trotsky ( Geoffrey Rush), David Alfaro Siqueiros (Antonio Banderas), Nelson Rockefeller (Ed Norton), their binge in the US, eventual divorce and subsequent remarriage and her death at the age of 47 in 1954 is effectively retold in the film.

Kahlo's art is the focus of the film. Most of Kahlo's work consisted of self portraits and Ms.Taymor incorporates these vivid pictures into the film. The film is a vibrant visual experience portraying the colour and style of Kahlo's paintings and beauty of Mexico. Rodrigo Preito's colourful and appealing cinematography and designer Felipe Fernanden's period recreations and Eliot Goldenthal's guitar flavored music of Mexican themes makes the movie rather interesting. Taymor deserves full credit for putting it all together so effectively

Frida is rated R, and it has many scenes of sexually liberated, the artist behaving and speaking just as any one can expect. It is interesting with a good story and good acting. Hayek portrays her dream role as the strong willed artist Frida remarkably well even to her slightly mustached and meeting eyebrows looks. Alfred Molina as Rivera is as good as Hayek in portraying his character. Valeria Golino as Rivera's ex wife Lupe is notable. Other artists have also performed well.

We rate the movie above average.