Blue is the Warmest Color (2013) Review

4/5

This film won the Palme D'or at the Cannes Film Festival last May, and it is a wonderful film. The rating, therefore, may seem a little low for the quality it contains. I left ultimately a little distanced in that unexplainable way, but it is a truly phenomenally made film that should be seen by many.
Firstly, the performances must be mentioned. Adèle Exarchopolos is a powerhouse, effortlessly blending happiness with a shyness that is all at one cute and heart-breaking. Her expressions take us on their own journey, her eyes full of tears equal in force to the immense love in her heart, and her fearlessness to convey the passion that overcomes her brave and worthy of considerable respect. Léa Seydoux is the perfect match for Adèle, a woman who is enticing and able to portray emotion that renders the audience speechless particularly when both of these ladies are in a scene together. There is nothing false, nothing unsure; every shot is its own form of brutal truth and honesty, and that is in large part due to these two awards worthy performances.
The color blue is its own character, and a subject for much talk. The cinematography captures not only the color but the emotion that runs by the same name, keeping us close when we would like comfortably to left a little farther away, and for that it must be said that Abdellatif Kechiche is a very brave and talented director. Another major feat: the 179 minute runtime feels like 120 at most. It is consistently enthralling and captivating, leaving me to double-check my watch at the end because I could not believe it had been a full three hours. The story is that intense, and that enveloping. The filmmaking is that spectacular.
The sex scenes are as graphic as the hype as led you to believe by now, and the NC-17 rating is well deserved in terms of what is shown. I have an inherent problem with the rating of NC-17 for films like this and Blue Valentine for example, where the sex is an accent to the story and not an unnecessary addition for the sake of it. We had to be shown what we were in order to understand that the emotion was complemented by a very physical desire that would make it harder to say goodbye. Also, Adèle was discovering her lesbianism on both levels, so it would have been less of a commitment to only show one half to a very two-sided affair. That being said, it is quite explicit and I imagine the very idea will turn people away. I do hope you give it a shot, because the journey as a whole is worth the trip and one that you will think about in the days following.