Blue is the Warmest Color

Blue is the Warmest Color

Director: Abdellatif Kechiche

With:  Adèle Exarchopoulos, Léa Seydoux

"I have infinite tenderness for you. I always will. All my life long."

This is perhaps, one of the most controversial films this year. While it is not new for French films to have liberated attitude toward sex and human body, Blue is the Warmest Color contains some of the most explicit and surprising lesbian sex scenes you'll ever see in recent years (and outside of porn). But at the end of the film, we are certain that it is more about love, than sex or lust. Most people may have a hard time relating to the main characters' identity, but it is so easy to feel the emotions out of them, Adèle and Emma. They possess something that is familiar to all of us, and that is the feeling of love.

Everything about the film looked natural, the raw emotions, the intense sex, the neverending conversations, the dancing and festivities. The film is 3 hours long but it never felt like it. I can name a number of my favorite scenes in the film, not counting the obvious ones. In fact, thinking about it, every scene in the film is inspired. We are captivated just by listening and looking at the characters' conversations and interactions. The reason for that of course, is the poignant performances of Léa Seydoux and newcomer Adèle Exarchopoulos. Director Abdellatif Kechiche brought out the sincerity in these two actresses as he chose to tell the story of the film most often with close ups of their facial expressions varying from vulnerable, to curious, to excited, to confused, to sorrowful and to being madly in love. Exarchopoulos, in particular, has a great face that depicts her character so well, perplexed, sensitive and longing. Now I understand why she's been receiving so much recognition for her work in this film. Portraying her character in the film requires courage, passion and authenticity which she delivered quite well especially for a newbie.

This film teaches us what we, or at least most of us, already know about love. That it involves PAIN. And pain comes in different shapes and sizes. Jealousy. Deception. Differences in personality and passion. Loneliness. Acceptance. Abandon and Need. These raw aspects of love are majorly depicted in this film and we all know that these things that happen in real life is hard to illustrate through films. We are taught that life is not like the movies but like I mentioned, Seydoux and Exarchopoulos will make you feel these things easily and real. The last time I felt this feeling from a movie was when I saw Blue Valentine which left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm pretty sure this one would make you feel that too. Blue is indeed blue.