BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR

Starring: Lea Seydoux, Adele Exarchopoulos

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%. 

     An instant classic of modern cinema showcasing a rare cinematic vitality through raw emotion, honest storytelling, and brilliant acting. Blue is the Warmest Color is a French film with English subtitles, spanning 3 hours and 17 minutes long. The characters were so engaging that it was easy to watch a 3 hour film, spoken completely in French. This film also won the Palme D' Or at Cannes Film Festival in 2013, which is basically the indie film world's equivalent to Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Therefore, I knew I needed to watch this movie at some point. When I saw it on available on Netflix I watched it right away, not knowing how captivating and intense these actresses were. 

     The story is set in modern day France, and is  about a 15 year old girl named Adele, who meets a blue haired, confident, college art student named Emma (played by Lea Seydoux, a French model turned actress, and is also the new James Bond girl in the 007 movie coming out in Fall 2015). Adele struggles through her adolescence to find a romantic companion, even turning down a boy who really likes her. One day she meets Emma, who charms her and they start hanging out and eventually become romantic. The film showcases in an honest and refreshingly detailed way, a story of a 10 year romance of a lesbian couple who go through the major ups and major downs of a relationship. The film is simple yet layered, dark yet cheerful, long but well paced. Blue is the Warmest Color is possibly the most raw and honest romantic drama I have ever seen in my life. I became immersed with the life of these characters, especially the unique charm of Emma (Lea Seydoux), she has a non traditional attractiveness about her that highlights her spirit, and the director did an excellent job capturing the joy and attitude of her spirit, and having it translate onto the screen. This is a definitely a must watch, but to get the fully understand its honesty and greatness you have to watch the whole movie. I know most people may not want to watch a 3 hour movie, let alone in French, but if you ever do, you won't regret it. It will make you appreciate your significant other, and realize that all couples laugh, cry, argue, love, and celebrate life just as you do. If that type of thing doesn't interest you, at least you will show you how young French people party, go clubbing, celebrate birthdays, drink, smoke, go to the parks, and hang out with friends. 

Overall, I give this movie a 9 out of 10 for a realistic insight into the world of a hip young couple living in modern day France.