Like with any film, a lot of people were involved in the making of "Frida", but, ask any one of them and they will happily tell you that it‘s SALMA HAYEK‘S movie and not just because she plays the title role remarkably well!

To say this was a labour of love is something of an understatement- she‘d been trying to get the project going for nine years despite the distractions of alleged showbiz infighting with MADONNA and JENNIFER LOPEZ over who would get to play the role!

For the record, both of the aforementioned had at some stage expressed an interest in doing a film about artist Frida and MADONNA actually owns a few of her paintings but there were no catfights at dawn or any other time. As HAYEK says, having stories in the press about those two wanting to play Frida actually helped raise the profile of her project and contributed to getting it done!

So who is Frida Kahlo and why should they make a film about her? - well the short answer is she was a Mexican artist whose paintings are now among the most expensive ever done by a female artist - but she was also much more than that!

She was a feminst in a right wing Catholic country way ahead of her time; involved in a bizarre open relationship with her womanising husband Diego Rivera another famous Mexican painter (played brilliantly by ALFRED MOLINA- "Chocolat" : "Boogie Nights"): she was almost killed in a trolley bus accident in her teens and lived most of her life in agony but that didn‘t prevent her from becoming a prolific painter and living life to the full having lovers of both sexes and including Russian Communist exile Leon Trotsky among them - played in the film by Oscar winner GEOFFREY RUSH ( "Shine", "Quills", "Lantana").

In addition to bringing all these qualities to the screen in a convincing and captivating manner- HAYEK also persuaded showbiz pals ANTONIO BANDERAS, ASHLEY JUDD and SAFFRON BURROWS to play the smallest roles of their careers as favours to help get the film made. Oh and her current boyfriend ED NORTON ( "Primal Fear", "Red Dragon", "Fight Club") as well as appearing as Nelson Rockerfeller also re-wrote the entire script for no money and no credit just to help out!

Add to that the stunning visual effects captured by director Julie Taymor ( "The Lion King" - on stage) and her team and this is film which deserves it‘s appearances on many nominations lists.

I have to say I wasn‘t thrilled to bits at the prospect of seeing a film about a crippled female Mexican artist that I‘d never heard of but I really enjoyed this on a number of levels: I learned some things, I laughed , the visuals are innovative. Oh and SALMA HAYEK is as sexy onscreen as anyone you‘ll see !

If this one doesn‘t make it out of the art houses - make this your art house visit for the year. It‘s worth it!

UK release: 28th February 2003

CWW rating :8 out of 10