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Abdellatif Kechiche’s complex story of love, passion and sexual identity is carried out with great precision by the flamboyant filmmaker.
Adapted from the Julie Maroh’s graphic novel, the film carefully tracks the life of Adèle as she endures mixed emotions which come from the pure thrill of romance over the epic three-hour running time.
In the beginning, she struggles to think about her future aspirations especially when it comes to dealing with her own sexuality.
When she gets together with Thomas, it’s a desperate attempt to prove to her friends that she is capable of making love with a man even when she’s embarrassed to admit it.
But once Thomas is abruptly forced out of the picture, Adèle turns her attention to a mysterious blue-haired woman who will ultimately change her life.
Although it takes around 45 minutes for the pair to finally converse, this is where the film starts to really shine as the pair chat about what they want most from life.
Their time together triggers the first of three heavily discussed sex scenes – the first of which goes on for a lengthy seven minutes – that have got many people talking.
While some viewers are bound to be uncomfortable at the sight of these two young women indulging in raw and explicit sex, Kechiche produces a masterstroke of appointing cinematographer Sofian El Fani to capture these intimate moments.
Though the scenes are bound to be dismissed by some as nothing more than cinematic pornography, the depth of sexual passion performed is what makes the romance feel authentic.
Aside from that, the film does remarkably well in illustrating the tender love between the two, even to the point where their worlds are completely different.
Riddled with insecurity, the pair hit a rocky patch as Adele’s sense of dread and lack of power leads to the eventual downfall of their romance.
Where the film is strengthened most is the astonishing performances of its two leading ladies.
Sharing the same name as her character, newcomer Adèle Exarchopoulos carries the film with great natural ability and bares her soul (more then once!) to mesmerising perfection, as the camera remains fixated on her throughout.
Given her youthful age and beautiful stature, a promising future is surely guaranteed.
Co-star Lea Seydoux is just as majestic as the woman who changes Adèle’s life and while she doesn’t share as much screen time, her contribution is still significant in the endearing scenes between the two, with her best moments coming in the film’s emotional last quarter.
What does take away the film’s momentum is the pace of the story – padded out to the 180 minute running time.
Nevertheless, Blue is the Warmest Color is a powerful drama which depicts love in a beautiful way and benefits from the flawless performances of its leading ladies.
A word of warning – not one to watch with your parents!