There are a lot of things you may have heard about Blue Is the Warmest Color. But what you haven't heard, I'm sure, is that behind the acclaim, the raw sex scenes, and the massive running time, is that at its core, this is a film about self-discovery, romance, and all of the complications that come along with it. Much like Alfonso Cuaron put you right in Sandra Bullock's helmet, forcing you to survive space with her in Gravity, director Abdellatif Kechiche places you front and center and take you on a similar ride. However, this isn't a gorgeously terrifying space journey; instead of floating debris, and the threat of depleting oxygen, we're navigating the painful, but beautiful discovery of first love.
No film has explored love like Blue Is the Warmest Color, or "La Vie d'Adele- Chapitres 1 & 2" (the French title) does. The film is an intimate look into the life of Adele (Adele Exarchopoulos, a star-making performance if there ever was one) as she discovers herself and enters a romantic relationship with Emma (Lea Seydoux). When I say intimate, I mean it's a very intimate look; the film holds you very close, and for those 179 minutes it doesn't let you go, not even for a second. Those 179 minutes are necessary; every moment is important to effectively telling this story. The film is paced so well that it flies by, leaving you wanting so much more.
A lot of the scenes play out like Kechiche simply put the camera down, sat back, and observed the interactions between Adele and Emma. The scenes run longer than any director I have studied would let their scenes run, but this adds a layer to the film that short cuts and edits would've totally ruined. We experience everything in Adele's journey, from her days of self-discovery and first trip to a gay bar, to the budding early days of passionate infatuation with Emma, to the heartbreaking fallout and dissolution of that same relationship, every moment until we've suddenly stopped folllowing her. By the end, we're watching her walk away, onto chapter 3, a chapter that is unknown to us as the audience, and to a certain degree, Adele herself.
The acting is some of the rawest, most honest of any movie I've ever seen. Seydoux is truly wonderful as Emma, giving a great performance, though more of a traditional one than that of Exarchopoulos. As Emma, an older and more experienced lover, who happens to be an artist, it's clear that she's been there, done that; she's has many girlfriends before, whereas this is Adele's first go around relationship wise. Though she is visibly hurt by the dissolution of the relationship, she's able to pick up, move on, and find love again with one of their single mother friends.
Younger Adele isn't so lucky. This is her first love, first real relationship; she doesn't really know anything else. Every moment Adele enjoys is spent with Emma, until the two begin to drift apart. "Where will I go!?" Adele shouts as Emma throws her out after a fight. Where will she go indeed? Where can se go when everything she has is telling her to get out. Though their romance is fiery and passionate in the beginning, it begins to show that Adele and Emma are strikingly different people despite their intense sexual connection as the relationship progresses. This was present from the very beginning, but it was blurred by the giddy butterflies, deafened by the sensual moans, and blinded by the steaming kisses.
For all of its successes, it's Exarchopoulos' performance that is the film's crowning achievement. Seydoux as I said before is lovely, and the direction of Kechiche is a large part for the success. But without Exarchopoulos' Adele, the film would not be the masterpiece it is, as she is the film's focus; this film cannot exist without her, and I don't want to think of what it would be if she weren't in it. Exarchpoulos believably guides us over the years of this girl's life, taking us from a confused high school adolescent who is still discovering herself, to a grown woman learning to close one door of her life and open another. It's a fully fleshed out character arc that is masterfully executed due to the film's length, and the intimate direction, but is believable because of Exarchopoulos' fearless performance that is a ball of fire and unbridled commitment, but remains nuanced, subtle and honest.
The cinematography matched the absolutely beautiful direction and acting; capturing some truly awe-inspiring moments, sometimes in just close ups of Exarchopoulos' flawless face. Every feeling, expression, and thought is perfectly communicated to us on her face, and the camera is there to catch it all. In fact, it can't seem to help itself, neither can we as voyeurs. The camera can't stop focusing on her, and our eyes are glued to her. I never knew following one person could be so beautiful, and enthralling.
I could go on about this film for hours. I haven't stopped thinking about it since it ended, and I can't wait to watch it again. I tried falling asleep so I could have some more time to construct my thoughts to write a better review tomorrow morning, but I couldn't. The utter beauty and truth of this film has put me under some type of spell, and what a beautiful spell it is. In a year with films like 12 Years A Slave, and Gravity, and now this film (I'm a little late to the party with this one I know) we are reminded of the magic of movies, how they can immerse us so deeply into a story that we actually feel invested in the outcome. Blue Is the Warmest Color is one of the best love stories, and is a breakthrough in every sense of the word. It's raw, real, passionate, beautiful, even ugly at times, but magical throughout. See it by all means.
Oscar Chances: Foreign Language Film should be a cake walk (I hope). Adele Exarchpoulos has won some key awards (notably a shared LAFCA award with Cate Blanchett), but is such a long shot. However, crazier things have happened.... I'm holding out for her to end up in Best Actress. A Screnplay nomination coupled with one for Cinematography would be richly deserved, but that would never happen.
Grade: 10/10
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