Review of Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013) by Tom B — 20 Oct 2013

The movie opens with students analyzing Marivaux, as in his previous Games of Love and Chance. Kechiche depicts perfectly the French education system and the main character, Adele, behaves like the world is a huge classroom. She has little iniative and follows the confident Emma, like she'd obey a teacher. The only time she's got authority is when she becomes a kindergarden teacher. She seems excited about lesbianism as a student eagerly discovers new contents. As in school, her life becomes nothing but routine, like an extra day in class.

It doesn't stop here, Kechiche also treats us like students. He invites us to read about 5 books (La vie de Marianne, Dangerous Liaisons, The Princess of Cleves, Sartre's essay), probably like the 'To Learn More About' section at the end of an exercise book. He even explains us that oysters and vaginas taste similary to continue with a 5-minute-oyster-eating scene. Nonetheless, as a viewer you can connect the dots that Adele can't. For example, it's clear that Emma also cheats on her but she's too naive to get it.

Though this movie holds some good ideas, a 3 hour-long class doesn't do much for me!