Let's not talk about sex. Blue Is The Warmest Color (La Vie d'Adèle – Chapitres 1 & 2) has gained notoriety because of its explicit sex scenes, but they are only part of the nearly three-hour epic from French director Adbellatif Kachiche. It is really about how a young girl's obsession with an older woman leads to her undoing and the relationship's corrosive effect on her life.

As the film's French title suggests, it really is two chapters with a clear division, although there's no title card to tell you. In the first, we meet 15-year-old Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos), a junior in high school and an aspiring teacher. She's your average teenage girl, with an eye for boys and a big clique of friends. But that all changes when she sees the blue-haired Emma (Léa Seydoux) during a date with a boy. Even though she doesn't meet Emma at that moment, Emma soon becomes Adèle's obsession and that boy quickly leaves her mind. She has sex with the young man and pretends it felt good, but we know it wasn't. Emma is all Adèle can think about.

Emma is much older than Adèle, nearly finished getting her art degree and doesn't get too attached to anyone. But even on Emma's end, Adèle is different and they have a go at being a couple, even living together.

In the second half, after the explicit sex scenes that have caught everyone's attention, the relationship begins to deteriorate. Emma trades glances with an old flame at a party and Adèle begins seeing a male colleague. Years pass and Emma learns to balance life as an artist with having a family. Adèle devotes herself to teaching, failing to build any kind of relationship. She is a prime example of the dangers of letting an obsession take you over and its dangers.

Kachiche directs this film with strict control, but obviously tries to keep a sense of sponteniety throughout. This style of filmmaking worked to great success in 2007's The Secret of the Grain, Kachiche's only other known work in the U.S., since IFC/Sundance distibuted that as well. In that film, he had a much larger ensemble cast to work with, as he followed a modern Arab-French family and large casts lend themselves to experimentation and improvisation.

With Blue is the Warmest Colour though, Kachiche is clearly more in control – we've all heard the stories by now of how he had his actresses do hundreds of takes for the sex scenes. He loves filming people eating and putting a person in a large crowd and making them uncomfortable. To some, that may seem annoying, as the writer/director isn't putting the story before atmosphere. But it all works to make the audience come to a better understanding of his characters, even if it means that the movie is so long.

Exarchopoulos and Seydoux shared the Palme D'Or with Kachiche at the Cannes Film Festival because they are as important to the film as their director. Even though she's only 20, Exarchopoulos gives an epic performance beyond her years, while Seydoux is more nuanced. They are also give very natural performances, again helping Kachiche really create a film that feels more like a documentary on the lives of these women.

On one level, there's are built-in imperfections of the characters, but there's also the imperfection of the director. There is a fine line between art house cinema and downright pornographic sex scenes, and they do seem jarring. Yes, we know that there is an intense passion between Adèle and Emma, so after the first big sex scene, there's little reason for another one...and another one. Thankfully, the director does understand that as the drama builds in the last hour of here, these would only slow his train down.

American audiences are treated to a more intriguing title than The Life of Adèle. Blue is the Warmest Colour is actually the title of Julie Maroh's graphic novel, on which Kachiche based his film. Blue is the color that links Emma and Adèle together – it's what first attracted Adèle to Emma. In the end, there's even a reminder of it, with Adèle wearing a blue dress. She can never forget the impact Emma had on her life, just like the impact the film will leave you with is unforgettable. Sure, it should have been shorter, but lives are not short, especially when love is involved.

image: screenshot