Blue is the Warmest Color (2013)

Blue is the Warmest Color

• I’ve always heard this film in conversations of high regard when it comes to queer cinema, and I’m glad that I’ve finally gotten around to watching it. I think the runtime made me wary for a while, seeing as it’s only seven seconds under three hours. I do enjoy long films, it just takes a certain mental capacity to commit to something for that long of a sitting. However, even though you definitely feel the length, I was completely invested from start to finish, and never lost focus. I think that goes to show how compelling the story is. The intense focus on Adèle is where the interest comes from. This is really a fantastic character study, while still making sure that other characters are central to her growth. Then of course, you have the romantic relationship between the girls, and that’s obviously a big focus of the film. The natural chemistry between Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux was absolutely astounding, and one of my favorite duos I think I’ve ever seen in any film, ever. Not just their emotional bond, but the physicality of their relationship helps tell their story. It’s definitely a lot to take in, but to me, it’s a rewarding experience that shows you the different stages of love and wonder. The performances from both main girls were next level generational, and every award or nomination they got was extremely well deserved. Now despite all of that praise about the acting, characters, and story, this isn’t a film that I necessarily need to watch again. I feel like it’s a good one time experience, and then after that, you can just let it mellow in your mind. It’s also not something that blew me away, and again, the runtime definitely feels very long. Not that I would cut anything out. But even though I was touched and invested, I didn’t feel like the film as a whole was anything ridiculously good, but it still carries its weight in the queer cinema conversation. I would definitely recommend it to all romance/drama fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!