We rarely see any films these days that don't just deal with homosexuality, but sexuality in general. One other recent film that I can think of which deals with the complexity of sexuality is the 2011 tour-de-force Shame with Michael Fassbender. Not only does Blue Is The Warmest Color deal with themes of homosexuality and sex in general, but weaves those into a coming-of-age odyssey.
Story:
Blue is the Warmest Color is about a high school girl named Adele (Adele Exarchopoulos) who finds her life change forever as she meets a blue-haired lesbian woman named Emma (Lea Seydoux). The film follows the beginning, middle, and the possible end of their relationship.
What I Liked About It:
First off, I absolutely LOVED the direction of this film. Director Abdellatif Kechiche manages to incorporate the use of color to represent the different moods of the film and the characters. Throughout the film, the color blue is used and that definitely is symbolic for the character of Adele, as some of her personality traits that are associated with that color include her tranquility and at times trying to gain authority of herself. To some extent, the color represents Emma as blue also represents being a mellow free spirit which is what Emma is. Although, and hopefully I don't spoil it, towards the final act, Emma's hair color that is normally blue is dyed blonde and she reveals her rather tough exterior. So, Kechiche and the actresses all do a marvelous job at portraying of the color used in the film's title thanks to the direction and performances.
The performances bring me to my next point. The two actresses are just phenomenal. Adele Exarchopoulous really brings it home as a girl who is indecisive about her sexuality as she slowly transitions into a woman. Lea Seydoux delivers a wonderful supporting performance as Emma, Adele's partner who is more artistic and liberal-minded, unlike Adele who is more conservative with her future career plans, similarly to her family. The two actresses have wonderful chemistry together in this film and I hope that they really go far after this movie.
Another thing that I really liked and thought was interesting was how the film is almost a coming-of-age story that incorporates the theme of coming to terms with one's own sexuality and themes of relationships and homosexuality as well. Plus, even though the film is about 3 hours long, I wasn't bored and I found myself absorbed in the character of Adele's story and her emotional journey throughout the film.
What I Didn't Like About It:
Nothing.
Consensus:
Overall, Blue is the Warmest Color is a 3-hour emotional odyssey with outstanding direction and stellar performances from the two lead actresses. I honestly wouldn't say that I recommend this to everybody for a few reasons: One is that there are plenty of scenes of graphic sex, as well as the length and the fact that it is a foreign language film which means if you were to see it, you'd have to read subtitles. However, it is a very beautiful and artistic film nevertheless that I would recommend to those that love to study film or those that want to see something rather inventive.
Rating: 5/5
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