Ah this movie is so special and I remember trying to decide whether or not I should stay up late to watch it the first time (the runtime's pretty intimidating). I'm so glad I did though; it honestly changed me for the better. My favourite films seem to centre on intimate relationships and their progression/decay (Brokeback Mountain and Blue Valentine are two favourites that make a great trilogy with Blue is the Warmest Colour) and BITWC is simply the most detailed, unflinching, and honest portrayal of a relationship that I've ever seen.

I thought the director's eye for detail (Adele eating, crying, sleeping etc.) would become tedious, but after the first half hour I was totally immersed and won over. I never wanted the story to end. Adele, Emma, and the world they inhabit pull you in so gently and completely so that once the film ends, you're sort of left sitting there, wondering what to do and how to absorb and think about what you just experienced. It reminded me of the feeling you get after reading a long and emotionally affecting/draining book.

I've seen a few other users here commenting on Adele appearing to be "simple" or "dumb" or just horny or whatever, but they seem to be missing a pretty strong subtext that runs through the film, one that centres on social class. Adele and Emma are from different worlds and that's ultimately what the film's about. Adele's family eat a simple meal of spaghetti bolognese when Emma's visiting, and Emma's family prepare and eat oysters and drink expensive wine when Adele's visiting. There are so many beautiful little undercurrents that run through the story but Adele hating oysters and then coming to like them after eating with Emma's family is one that sticks out to me in relation to the class subtext. The movie really needs a few watches before you can pick up on all the fine little details of the characters' relationship. It's truly like watching a real relationship grow and change, and the level of detail in the film reflects that statement.

Subtext and beautiful details aside, this movie changed me emotionally. I felt more in tune with relationships and their dynamics and their grey areas. I've been in relationships since watching this movie where infidelity has been an element and I know that my responses would have been totally different had I not had the experience of watching this film. At the end of Blue is the Warmest Colour, I was quietly crying, and it sounds bizarre, but I love it when that happens; when you're overwhelmed by that little life you've lived through a film or a written story, it's pretty magical.