On DVD and Blu Ray- "Blue Is The Warmest Color" - At 179 minutes long, this epic French language coming-of-age tale involving an impressionable teenaged girl (Adele Exarchopoulos) exploring her sexuality with an older, free-spirited artist (Leya Seydoux) and their subsequent decade-long relationship together could have easily been retitled "A Tale Of Two Lesbians"... all kidding aside, I think it's a superior drama and one of the very best films of 2013. The film is uncommonly raw yet wonderfully detailed, providing an authentic, emotionally charged experience that's sure to please discriminating audiences. Be advised that this is clearly subject matter of an adult nature, complete with a graphic seven minute sex scene that will surely raise some... eyebrows.
Without reservations, I'd like to go on record in stating that 20-year-old French actress Adele Exarchopoulos (who wasn't even nominated) gives the best performance as an actress in a leading role amongst all of the films released in 2013 that I viewed- her heartfelt and touching turn as "Adele" is one that I'll go to my grave in believing is VASTLY superior to Cate Blanchette's Oscar-winning turn in Blue Jasmine. There's so much worthwhile content here involving her character in a natural state that I almost felt as if I was watching a candid documentary concerning the maturity of a living human being (as opposed to a character in a film). The highly capable Exarchopoulos is an attractive brown-eyed girl who's sure to cross over and leave her mark with American audiences at some point in the next couple of years- she's one to keep tabs on.
The more accomplished Lea Seydoux (Midnight In Paris, Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol, Inglourious Basterds) is also outstanding as "Emma"- the blue-haired (quite literally) art student who catches our heroine's heart. The talented French actress will have quite a year in 2014, with roles in Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel and Christophe Gans' film version of Beauty and the Beast.
My chief complaint with the film would be in regards to it's centerpiece sex scene- it's not necessarily it's length or content that I had a problem with, it's with how the scene is filmed. The blunt, clunky nature of the "shot selections" seem pulled from a lesser film, whereas a previous erotic dream involving the two leads was staged and filmed most excellently. At a certain point about halfway through the scene in question, I found myself holding back a chuckle or two- the sequence, although highly memorable, effectively pulled me out of the engrossing narrative flow for a brief spell.
What remains both prior to and following that "schizm" is an honest, resonating and compelling depiction of a tender young soul struggling to find her true self while learning the intricacies of love, intimacy and the deep level of commitment involved in a relationship along the way. The film runs the gamut of emotions, strangely managing to conclude on both a heartbreaking and positive note. It's a three hour film, yet I hated to see it end...
Blue Is The Warmest Color is a truly rewarding experience highlighted by two great performances, a fully fleshed out narrative and exquisite cinematography that comes...
Highly Recommended.
9.0 out of 10
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
Cast: Adele Exarchopoulos and Leya Seydoux
Run-Time: 179 minutes
MPAA: Rated NC-17 for explicit sexual content
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