Review of Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013) by Jessica T — 27 Dec 2013

Blue is the Warmest Color examines the simple, seemingly inconsequential moments of a love affair, and refracts them as pieces of eternity: a furtive glance, a kiss on the cheek, a tear in the eye... all of these moments are packed tightly with meaning.

This is one of the saddest, yet sweetest love stories ever told, and I cannot remember the last time two actors reverberated such an intensely realistic passion for one another. Everything is believable, and I'm stretched to comprehend how in the hell the actors did it.

This film is a testimony to the real magic of performance, the subtle illusions an actor can create for his/her audience. As beautifully shot as it is, the actors carry this film the entire three hours.

The on-screen chemistry between Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux is elegantly realized and realistically rendered; I couldn't help but sympathize with them both. I wanted to reach out and hug Adele, adopt her as a daughter and take care of her.

Sounds weird, but my heart just went out to this character. At times the movie is extremely sexual, but these scenes never quite feel gratuitous, but instead serve to illuminate the film's particular ethos: that every moment is a microcosm of meaning and beauty, and while love may not last forever, it's still worth pursuing.