Review of Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013) by Jacob G — 08 Jul 2014

Emotionally, Blue is the Warmest Color is a hard film. But the hardest part is the 3+ hour running time. Compared to other long movies, Blue holds the length fairly well, but it's easy to look back and see lots of things that could be snipped without impacting anything.

The movie spans a number of years. The actual timeframe covered is only coyly hinted at, making it hard to truly grasp the emotional impact.

But perhaps time doesn't matter. After all, we can plainly see on the screen how the relationship is unfolding and the direction its heading.

However, all that aside, the real beauty within Blue is how the director manages to capture the awkward moments in life. There is almost a reverence to the way these snippets are filmed, whether it is Adele's father asking her girlfriend "if she has a boyfriend" or the way spaghetti is in no way an elegant food to eat. Or the absurd--yet intimate--way two people grapple at each other while in bed. Maybe the blinks of exhaustion while standing in front of a classroom of kids who aren't writing their lines.

For someone who is slightly uncomfortable with life, a bit shy, who feels out of sorts with the verbose nature of society, Adele's face acts as a mirror. She reflects those things we feel; the uncertainty of whether that girl likes us, or whether our opinion is being laughed at, or whether what we feel is valid. It's a delightfully nuanced performance and she captivates the screen from the first shot.