Blue Velvet is a film you should definitely see if you are a fan of filmmaking or noir or the surreal, but it is a hard film to recommend. That is mainly because the acclaim it got from when it first came out does not really translate to present day, and so one would tend to get an impression and have expectations that the film is not going to match. It has been so many years and nowadays the vibe of the film is different. At the same time, it really is a good film and perhaps can be better appreciated not for being outrageous or frightening, but rather for some fine filmmaking and acting. In particular, loved the set for the female lead's apartment the performance by the actress playing her (Isabella Rossellini) was quite good. The film has many memorable bits and pieces, but the overall vibe is about half as intense as watching an accident involving two vehicles with the highest safety rating and everyone has on their seatbelts. This sounds like it is bad, but it is not. Like I said, it is hard to write a review for. This is really a very good, a very theatrical film (with a feeling like that of 50s era dramatic films); and it is good one to see, not so much for shocks and frights, but to appreciate a nice piece of work.

4.0 / 5.0