La Vie d'Adele

Blue Is the Warmest Color is a 2013 French romantic coming of age drama film written, produced, and directed by Abdellatif Kechiche.

Adèle is a high-school student whose classmates gossip constantly about boys. While walking on the street one day, she passes by a woman with blue hair and is instantly smitten. In her desire to be accepted, she dates a boy at her school and they have sex, but she is ultimately dissatisfied and breaks up with him. After having vivid fantasies about the blue-haired girl and having one of her girl friends behave flirtatiously towards her, she becomes troubled about her sexual identity. One friend seems to understand her confusion and takes her to a gay dance bar. After some time, Adèle leaves and walks into a lesbian bar, where she experiences assertive advances from some of the women. The blue haired woman is also there and intervenes, claiming Adèle is her cousin. The woman is Emma, a graduating art student. They become friends and begin to spend more time with each other. Her friends suspect her of being a lesbian and ostracize her. Despite the backlash, she grows closer to Emma. After a time, she confesses her love for Emma, who reciprocates. They have sex and begin a passionate relationship. Emma's artsy family is very welcoming to the couple, but Adèle introduces Emma to her more conservative, working-class parents as just a friend.

Over the course of years, the two women live together. Adèle finishes school and joins the teaching staff at an elementary school, while Emma continues her painting career. Adele feels ill at ease among Emma's friends; though Emma encourages her budding writing talents, Adele feels more comfortable acting as a muse and, outside of being her lover, does not seem to know what she wants out of life. They begin to realise how increasingly little they have in common. Emotional complexities manifest in the relationship and Adèle, in a moment of loneliness and confusion, sleeps with a male colleague. Emma discovers the brief fling and kicks Adèle out of the apartment they share, leaving Adèle heartbroken and now completely alone. Time passes and though Adele is satisfied in her job as a kindergarten teacher, an indescribable sadness and longing exists within her. Adèle and Emma eventually meet up again in a restaurant. Adèle is still very much in love with Emma, and despite the powerful attraction that is clearly still there between them, Emma is in another relationship and refuses to be unfaithful. Nonetheless, she reassures Adele that she will care deeply for her always. The two forgive each other and Adèle moves on with her life.