Blue is the Warmest Color

 Hello everyone, I'm known as TheCinemaChick and as always, I'm behind on my reviews. I know, I know, I said I'd try to be better about staying on top of things but you know, stuff happens. Right now, its mostly me being stressed with school and boys in general. Seriously, who basically flirts with a girl then does a 180 and friend zones her? Yeah, some guys just want to screw with my head. As always, you're not here to listen to me whine about my lack of a romantic life. Today we're going to look at a movie I watched a while back and haven't touched on yet.


**The following review will be about a controversial film. I will be discussing homosexuality, sexual interaction and alcohol in here. If any of that offends you, please do not read any further.**


What movie could I possibly be talking about, you may ask yourself. Judging from that little warning, you might think I've watched some sort of NC-17 film. Well, I didn't. If I did watch something rated NC-17, I would not review it or post it here. And that doesn't mean the film is sexually explicit. A lot of things with that rating are far too violent to be shown to all audiences. Also, if I see a movie that I believe is just too offensive to review, I won't review it. For instance, I did watch “Shame” with Micheal Fassbender. I found it an interesting look at dysfunctional families through the eyes of a sex addict. The woman who checked me out (Blockbuster video stores still existed) told me in a rather loud voice, “You know this is a soft core porn, right?”


And that's when I stopped going to Blockbuster Video.


My point of telling you all that is to say this. I'm going to discuss “Blue is the Warmest Color” which is a French film about two young lovers who learn the ups and downs of a relationship. The catch is, they're both female. And this film has gained notoriety for having one of the most realistic and intense sex scenes ever. Well...they're not wrong. The scene I'm talking about isn't a minute or two of brief shots...no...it's about a full seven minutes. There is no censorship, no holding back and I'm not even sure if it was simulated. Having done some research...the sex was not simulated. It was all real.


And in case you're curious, most of the sex you see in the movies isn't real. It's simulated, meaning it looks like its actually happening but its not. A lot of the time actors have on flesh colored underwear so there is no contact. In very rare instances, the actors go ahead and do it. Bear in mind this is a risky and often shocking decision. Movies like “The Brown Bunny”, which had Chloe Sevigny perform oral sex, are looked down on. It's just not something that happens with a lot of big name actors.


Now, “Blue is the Warmest Color” focuses mainly on Adele, a young woman who is starting to question a lot of things around her. She dates a boy because it is expected of her but she soon meets Emma. It is this meeting that makes her wonder if she's doing what she wants. However, when her classmates suspect that she is romantically involved with the blue haired lesbian, Adele is teased mercilessly. Soon, she finds comfort with Emma. They do form a relationship and it seemingly is a perfect one. Emma's parents love Adele while Adele is much more reserved.


Their relationship continues and the eventually move in together but things seem to get complicated. Adele still questions what she wants in life while Emma is completely confident in her decisions. In a moment a weakness, Adele sleeps with a male coworker. Emma learns of the affair and the relationship comes to a crashing halt. They part ways on bad terms which leaves Adele completely heartbroken. Years pass and they have a chance meeting where Adele admits she still loves Emma with all her heart but Emma has moved on. Once again, they part ways, this time on decent terms.


The film ends with Adele attending an art show. She sees a painting of a nude woman, knowing its her. They acknowledge each other, Adele congratulates Emma and she leaves. It's a bittersweet ending for both of them. At one point, the two were madly in love but when they realize things are going bad, they make poor decisions. I know I was hoping they'd end up together but it became apparent it would not happen. That is part of the reason I loved the story so much. It's one of the more realistic stories about relationships out there. Love never runs smoothly nor does it always have a happy ending.


While I found it enjoyable, some people may have problems with the fact that its French. I know a lot of people hate dealing with subtitles. They can be a pain to deal with but if you don't speak French, it's a necessity. As for me, I've noticed foreign films tend to be a bit more liberal in their content. Something that may not fly well here may be perfectly acceptable in their film. There is far more cursing in this and remember, the drinking age in Europe is lower than it is here in the states. So if Adele and Emma look too young to be in bars, remember that. When I was in traveling through Europe, the drinking age was 16. I'm fairly certain that has not changed.


But really, this is all going to boil back down to that one seven minute or so scene. People will dismiss it as another romantic coming of age story involving lesbians. But the sex scene is so incredibly graphic its hard not to discuss it. There is no ignoring it since it is sort of what this film is now known for. To me, that's sad. “Blue is the Warmest Color” is a wonderful movie that captures a relationship in the LGBT world, which isn't something I've seen a lot of. I don't see why people tend to overlook the homosexual community.


My personal feelings aside, I do recommend “Blue is the Warmest Color”. I am a fan of indie, foreign and romance movies so this one was the trifecta for me. A lot of people can also relate to the film, remembering how it feels to love someone and possibly end up losing them. Or perhaps there was a time in your life when you began to question your own sexuality. Maybe you know what its like to be bullied and be treated like the outcast. There are multiple layers to this film and there is something almost anyone can see themselves in.


And I know LGBT issues are a hot topic lately. Let's not go into that because everyone has an opinion on it. But in my opinion, this is something everyone should see and not just because of the now infamous sex scene.



I'm TheCinemaChick and my cosplays are Sylvester McCoy approved.