Eighteen Brilliant But Unawarded Acting Performances
7. Isabella Rossellini – Blue Velvet
While some critics felt the film was a raw masterpiece, others thought that the film’s intensity was marred by an over-the-top plot.
Many critics of the day criticized the film for being “pornographic”, but that hasn’t stopped “Blue Velvet” from becoming a classic today.
Rossellini’s performance as a wife who will do just about anything to keep her kidnapped husband and son safe is nothing short of brilliant.
Perhaps the over-the-top plot was a few decades before its time; the mystery of a nightclub singer who is forced to cater to the extreme sexual demands of her husband’s and son’s kidnapper is reminiscent of something you might see on such shows as “Law and Order,” while the intense sexual scenes are almost commonplace in today’s society.
Rossellini, however, is beautiful, captivating, and anything but predictable, and her powerful command of that delicate balance between strength and fragility is breathtaking. With its gripping plot and unbeatable acting, “Blue Velvet” is anything but a typical ’80s flick. The director was nominated for an Oscar, but Rossellini was overlooked entirely for Marlee Matlin’s performance in “Children of a Lesser God.”
