Dressed in Blue Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Dressed in Blue Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 21, 2023

1983’s “Dressed in Blue” brings viewers to Spain to meet special individuals dealing with life experiences in their own way. These transgender women are brought together by director Antonio Gimenez Rico, who provides brunch for the group, capturing their natural dynamic, and he follows their stories as well, with a docudrama approach, endeavoring to highlight daily adventures, survival needs, and desires. “Dressed in Blue” is an interesting study of personality, but it connects more directly as an examination of personal history, learning more about these lives, with various psychological and physical challenges revealed as the subjects decide to open up for the camera.

“Dressed in Blue” periodically returns to the brunch setting, with the subjects enjoying food, drinks, and conversation, connecting on a special level of experience as transgender women. The bulk of the picture follows individual profiles, with Rico making time for six people sharing their intimate thoughts and living spaces. “Dressed in Blue” locates interesting areas of turbulence with the majority of the subjects, charting their family life and path to the person they’ve become, with some turning to sex work to get by, while others take to the stage to perform for crowds. The women open up to the camera, and Rico encourages debates, covering a range of topics related to the transgender experience, getting information and opinion out into the open for study.

Dressed in Blue Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.33:1 aspect ratio) presentation provides a softer, filtered look at "Dressed in Blue," with an older source used for this Blu-ray release. Fine detail isn't strong, offering a faint sense of full body displays and style choices, while facial particulars range in intensity. Primaries enjoy a general amplification throughout the viewing experience, with performance costuming and makeup. Skin tones are natural. And apartment visits retain a colorful look at decorative additions, along with the brightness of the brunch location. Delineation is satisfactory. Source is in decent condition, with some scratches.

Dressed in Blue Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix provides a basic understanding of conversations and dialogue exchanges. Music handles with age, but soundtrack selections are understood, supporting the moods of the film.

Dressed in Blue Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet (14 pages) contains essays by Sam Bodrojan and Caden Mark Gardner.

• "A Return to the Palace: 'Dressed in Blue' at 40" (67:45, HD) is a video conference discussion of the movie with film historian Elizabeth Purchell, filmmaker Frances Arpaia, writer Carta Monir, and film critics Willow Catelyn, Caden Mark Gardner, and Juan Barquin.

• And a New Theatrical Trailer (2:14, HD) is included.

Dressed in Blue Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Dressed in Blue" does "cook" moments to provide some level of conflict and confession, finding some of the subjects better with natural instinct than scripted chats. There's also graphic footage from a breast enhancement surgery included, with Rico making a curious directorial decision that will likely pull some viewers out of the film. Some stiffness and strange creative choices aside, "Dressed in Blue" is compelling, getting into the minds of subjects normally unable to express themselves.