Blue Velvet review

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In the quiet logging community of Lumbertown, squeaky clean teenager Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) finds a severed human ear. He reports it to the police, but also begins his own covert investigation, stumbling into the violent, S&M world of nightclub singer Dorothy (Isabella Rossellini) and drug-sniffing psycho Frank (Dennis Hopper)...

David Lynch settled into his stride with the uniquely disturbing Blue Velvet, gathering for the first time all the themes and imagery we now call Lynchian. The performances are universally superb. MacLachlan gives the film its emotional centre, while Rossellini's controversial portrayal of the abused singer is every bit as complex as Hopper's twisted freak.

It's a testament to their acting that their scenes have lost little shock value over 15 years. It's a measure of Lynch's dark genius that the rest of this bizarre and frequently beautiful film has lasted too.

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

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