Blue Is the Warmest Colour

Though Blue Is the Warmest Colour owes some of its qualities to the original comic book (available in French and, since September 2013, in English) about two young women’s great love spanning several years, the main reasons that it is such an emotionally absorbing experience consist in the adaptation’s flawless formalistic approach. An essential role is played by the unique symbiosis of the immediate performances of the actresses and how they are captured by the camera, as most of the runtime is made up of close-ups and medium shots. This approach, literally eliciting a feeling of closeness, highlights even the smallest details in the faces of the central couple, based on which the narrative builds the intense emotional tension found in all of the scenes. Blue Is the Warmest Colour provides an intense, three-hour immersion into a single relationship without a single unnecessary second. Each moment of this dramaturgically perfectly composed film presents a complex and very intimate view into the emotional life of the protagonist Adele – from the initial difficult clarification of her orientation to the passionate love that later transforms into doubtfulness arousing uncertainty and devastatingly painful loss. Despite the caustic comments directed toward it, Blue Is the Warmest Colour deserves all of the acclaim and attention that it has received from both critics and viewers not because of its explicit sex scenes, but simply because it is a uniquely intense viewing experience that literally takes the audience on a journey through the turbulence of a long-term relationship. Even as it enthrals viewers and allows them to experience every intoxicating and devastating moment in the women’s relationship, it never does so in a superficial way. P.S.: Blue Is the Warmest Colour gave me the most intense viewing experience that I have had in many years. (26/06/2013)

I’ll be honest, I was afraid of this. My subjective viewer experience was terrified of a three-hour long French lesbian art film, and I believed that not even the fact that it will probably be a very good three-hour long French lesbian art film would help. But the fears were unwarranted, the film gripped me from the beginning and didn’t let me go until the end. Fantastic performances, incredibly firm direction; a thrilling experience. I wouldn’t cut a single minute of it, every scene in Blue is the Warmest Colour makes sense. (16/12/2013)

A film from the "life as it is" collection. This collection is starting to be very good because it counts the first episode of Nymph()maniac: Volume 1 among its number, just like Blue Is the Warmest Color. These protagonists need to be loved. And you need to walk through a piece of your own life with them. At the other end of the spectrum is the appeal of life arising from the youth of the protagonists of the Clip. It's not important where these protagonists come from, but what they do to hold up a mirror to us. And even if nothing else, the favorite problem of passionate relationships will always be about what to do with an initiated evening when our other half doesn't pay enough attention to us. Are the hook-ups and break-ups worth the momentary feelings of satisfied vanity? At the same time, I must add that I was very pleasantly surprised by the original comic, which can be read in English as "Blue Is the Warmest Color." The original is both more tender and more somber, Adèle has a different name and the film adaptation has deliberately abandoned some details and motifs from her life. But this mirroring has very naturally left the comic to live its own peculiar life, and if the film Blue Is the Warmest Color appeals to you even a little, read the comics because they are worth it. (29/08/2014)

From the very first moment, you can tell that this was directed by a creator who knew exactly how to handle every scene. If he wanted to portray desire, he did it perfectly, but equally so boredom, hesitation, inability to fit in with the group, the beauty and spontaneity of lovemaking, as well as the sweatiness and speed of sex. It’s three hours long, yet every scene is in its rightful place. You don't even want to believe it until you see it. And what's the best part? Abdellatif Kechiche simply depicted things (relationships) as they are, without embellishment, just being realistic, which sometimes means being harsh. It doesn't have to look nice, but why not capture reality as it sometimes is? Thanks to Adèle Exarchopoulos, you see how many dimensions human nature can have. We're not just good or bad; sometimes we're repulsive, sometimes devoted, sometimes naive, sometimes foolish, sometimes completely indifferent, and other times... different. One person can do it all. Abdellatif Kechiche convinces me, especially after Black Venus, that the audience can tolerate reality and it doesn't have to be exaggerated; sometimes it's enough to simply let the camera watch. Still, I can't help but feel the length is excessively long. (27/01/2014)

From the first more intimate dialogue, physically intense spectacle, three hours in Adele's skin is surprisingly little. Or at least it would be, if the script didn't sometimes play a slightly repetitive melody. The hotly debated and open love scenes could really use some editing. Not that the first liberating one didn't have its place in the film, but the others no longer offer any surprises and, in one case, even slow things down. It's a pity, especially since the situations are so believable and inspired by life, when a person has a smile from ear to ear under all circumstances, because no matter what happens, they are simply happy. On the other hand, I won't get over the moments when you have a heavy feeling in your stomach together with the main protagonist because nothing is okay for a long time. Abdellatif Kechiche is obviously a peculiar patron, but for allowing me to live Adele's life, I must thank him without hesitation. It's even more disappointing that she grinds to a halt at the very end and in a crucial moment appears almost helpless. And I don't want to remember the sincere, vibrant Adele as helpless. (21/07/2015)