La vie d'Adèle

This is a good movie. I liked very much the way in which it describes the birth, maturity and end of a love interest among two young and attractive humans. The scenes in the park and the interplay of sentiments and nuances between the two lovers are very emotional and engaging. The difference of characters is very well presented.

The other good point is the sometimes humoristic way in which the down to earth and pragmatic family and social environment of Adele is juxtaposed with the artistic, intellectual and avant guard family and friends of Emma. I think this is the best part of the movie when one compares the realism of Adele with the artistic license of Emma. The scenes where both eat with each others family and the ensuing dialogues are a treat.

And now what you are all waiting for: the sex scenes. They are long, hot and explicit. I can not pronounce with conviction whether they served the artistic purposes of the movie or not. If someone wanted to watch the full bloom of a lesbian love story, the scenes may be considered indispensable, if you just wanted to watch a human love story between two people that happen also to have the same sex without caring for so much carnal detail, the scenes could be shorter and more circumspect. The point nevertheless is that those scenes caused a sensation and created a furore and debate from which the movie profited in terms of advertisement. People may now blame or praise it for the wrong reasons.

Both actresses where very good in playing their roles. The portrayal by Exarchopoulos of Adele as a teacher in a kinder-garden reading to the children didactic stories with animals or of her abilities as a cook and her insistence that Emma should eat something while Emma is consumed by a telephone call in which she raves about her artistic personality, integrity and vision ignoring Adele and the immediate environment are superb. She is also an actress which made feel empathy for her character. Seydoux is also very credible as the pretentious modernistic and ultimately self-centered Emma. And to conclude with a personal view I liked Adele much more than Emma as a person...