Ah DVD! This week, decidedly blah for the big screen, felt like the ideal time to check out some new releases on DVD. I picked up Frida and Real Women Have Curves. Both female

Frida, the life story of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is a visual feast from beginning to end. Directed by Julie Taymor, who brought the spectacular Lion King to Broadway, Frida is only Taymor second big screen flick. Frida brings her a little closer to mainstream, but she's still artsy for most tastes.

As a bio-pic, much of the movie Frida is what we expect. The film traces her life from a trolley accident in her youth that left her in agonizing pain that never eases up. Adding to her pain, is Frida's stormy relationship with her mentor and husband Diego Rivera.

When the pain is worst, Frida turns to painting, expressing deep emotions in vivid colors that border on the violent. The opening scene is incredibly striking, a good indicator of what is to come.

As a director, Taymor is not restricted by Hollywood norms. She enmeshes Kahlo's paintings into the narrative, where the action either grows out of or into a painting. The result is striking, innovative, and mostly successful.

For all the splendor of the film, I found myself more intrigued and impressed than entertained. Not a bad thing at all, certainly, but I found so many aspects of the film attracted my attention that I was taken away from the narrative. Of perhaps the narrative is a little too stodgy for the grandeur of the production. Whatever, I strongly recommend Frida!

Then there's Real Women Have Curves, the story of Ana, a Mexican American high in L.A. who is about to graduate and face life. Central to the story, but never really set up all that well, is Ana's weight. It doesn't bother her, but her mother seems to focus on nothing else. Desperately jealous of her daughter's opportunities, Ana's mother wants her to forget college and get a job. She drags her to work with her at her sister's garment factory slash sweat-shop.

There's one scene you really need to see, where Ana and her working buddies decide to take off their clothes to try to cool down. They reveal sensible underwear and many curves. The rest of the movie kind of limps along, relying on a plethora of stereotypes to tell a story that feels all too improbable to believe.

The best part of Real Women Have Curves is kind of ignored, the whole issue of making a living in the garment industry, earning $18 for making dresses that the big department stores will sell for $600.

I chose Frida and Real Women because they were by women directors and featured female protagonists. I wasn't disappointed with my choices but


Home || Complete list of reviews