I’ll admit I had mild skepticism before renting “Frida” this week. Last March I watched as star-producer Salma Hayek arrogantly touted her movie, about Mexican cross-dressing painter Frida Kahlo. I was pleasantly surprised it wasn’t only a pet project of its star, but also a film worth bragging about.

Though far from the list of top movies of last year, “Frida” is an interesting screen biography, host to a wide range of great visual moments.

The movie showcases a distinct portrait of a woman who distinguished her art by the influences in her life, notably her philandering husband, muralist Diego Rivera (played by Alfred Molina). The film has many moments where I was captivated by the exceptional art direction, most definitely the film’s strongest aspect.

The film is directed by Julie Taymor, a stage director who could also gloriously claim the Anthony Hopkins drama “Titus” to her credit, a modernization of Shakespeare’s “Titus Andronicus” — and another piece of eye candy with substance.

Both of her films suffer from underdeveloped plot details.

Frida cross-dresses and flirts with bisexuality in multiple scenes, though the reason she does this is never really made clear. Is it because she wants to be a controversial young artist, or is it to spite her unfaithful husband?

I’m only partially impressed with Hayek’s performance. Though she’s good in bits and pieces, she’s certainly not worthy of an Oscar nomination.

If the politically-defunct American Academy of Motion Pictures Association was searching for a minority nomination to broaden the horizon of their otherwise bleak outreach to non-Caucasian nominees, I would have vigorously suggested Maribel Verdu of “Y Tu Mama Tambien,” a wonderfully complex performance in an even better film.

I was reminded of the visual flare of Stanley Kubrick’s “Barry Lyndon” when watching “Frida.” Borrowing the concept of living portraits is an inspired technique, which often softens the impact of details less explored in this generally pleasing film.

DVD Features

The two-disc DVD release of “Frida” amply entails many features. The best is the nearly 40-minute conversation with Hayek, which works more or less like an audio commentary (which Julie Taymor takes care of). Taymor’s husband, composer and Oscar-winner Elliot Goldenthal, also provides a commentary to selected scenes. Three vignettes about the production also highlight the second disc, covering the music, design and vision of the film.