Perry Kate
Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
Boobirt
Stylish but barely mediocre overall
Derry Herrera
Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.
Guillelmina
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
tao902
Set in the late 1950s/early 1960s, this film follows a singer as she wanders around Paris waiting for the results of a cancer test she has had with her doctor.We are shown a number of low key encounters that she has with her friends and Parisians. The implications of her possible medical condition give added meaning to aspects of everyday life that she encounters. The black and white, hand held camera-work gives the film a 'live', documentary, spontaneous feel.Visually impressive, simple and interesting, but ultimately not sufficiently engaging to hold the viewer's attention for 90 minutes.
chaos-rampant
I took a walk after seeing this and felt cleansed like always after a great film, the night fresh. More so than womanhood or death, this is about having lived a life. She believes she's dying from cancer as the film begins, but of course we have to wait until the end to get the hospital results.The Tarot cards of the opening are an entry; artifice, images in place of the real thing, and yet the old woman is spontaneous enough (or contriving) to improvise a story they supposedly tell, some of it vaguely correct, some not, but a story that just so happens to hit on the problem of her suffering and unlock personal truth.The problem is desire, something we think is wrong with life. The filmmaker unveils in the early stages a marvelous space of desire, as poignant as any of Resnais' spaces on memory (the other debilitating facet of mind); the girl in a precious hat shop, safe on this side of the shop glass, gliding among and admiring trinkets we have come up with to dress life, make it more beautiful than it is. Yet of course life has an ugliness we can't dress, but that's not out there, no hat will fix it. It's the constant vexation with things not being just perfect (which is desire for them to be other than they are), a lover who is not always there, a piano player who doesn't fawn over her singing talent. It's not just her of course, at a cafe we hear people complaining about all sorts of things.What underpins this is ego, that self who must be at the center of things, the filmmaker playfully sketches this in a rehearsal scene, where as she sings, with a small pan of the camera we find her singing directly to us as if center stage for an imaginary audience, the center of attention.But there's also, along the way, a bubbly friend who is open enough about things to pose naked for a sculpting class. Another marvelous image here, a naked body which does not have to overthink its place in the room, which can freely let others take away a glimpse that they can chisel into shape, something she can give of her that she doesn't lose.It's all about the view we bring to life, the air of realization through which we see, the appearances we cultivate. This is beautifully rendered in a film-within the two girls see, a silent where a man throws away his dark glasses that obscured the way things really were to find his girl alive and well, she had just tripped, no one died. It's this easy.But how can it be easy when she's dying? The film doesn't clearly reveal, the doctor's unworried look can mean either of the two things. But of course that day will come just the same, it could be months or decades away. What's left then? Having lived a day just like this, having taken walks like these with a soldier in the park, bus rides like these through the first day of summer.This is beautiful stuff, more simple but as deep about the life of appearances and consciousness as Hiroshima mon amour. It reminds me of the cheeky Buddhist saying that explains how there has never been anything wrong from the start.Something to meditate upon.
cocomariev
This was the first movie I've seen by Agnes Varda. She is considered the "mother" of the New Wave, and characteristics of this style are shown throughout the film. I liked that we were brought into Florence's (Cleo) life and mind. I like that we are able to know what she is thinking, we are taken inside her mind. There is particular scene where she is walking down the street and the camera shifts to the street. It's as if we become her eyes and are able to see exactly what she sees. I noticed that some patrons even look at her, and thus the camera, which created a more realistic shot. It was like we were in the present time. The film portrays Cleo and the city around her. It really isn't an easy film to explain, but I do think Agnes did a wonderful job at capturing the audience and making us feel as if we were actually there with Cleo. Agnes left room for us to think about the meaning behind the film and relate it to our own lives. The film has more of a documentary feeling than a fictional narrative. Cleo (Corrine Marchand)does an excellent job in the film. I thought she was beautiful. I really like how she let us into her head, but left room for mystery. I found myself wanting to know more about her. Overall, I think this movie portrays the New Wave style in a positive light. Now I understand why Agnes Varda was appreciated by many and considered the "mother" of NV. I would definitely recommend this film to anyone who wants to see a film of the nouvelle vague.
cking-37-372041
Agnes Varda's masterpiece Cleo from 5 to 7 is a lovely film that captures the essence of life. This film is shot to capture real time of the main character Cleo, a famous singer struggling with the news that she might have terminal cancer. The film begins with Cleo being told her fortune. She continues to be appalled by the cards she is dealt. When she leaves the fortune tellers residence the scenes soar with uncontrollable emotion. Varda further captures the rawness of Cleo's fate as she films Cleo walking down the steps in a somber trance. Cleo then meets her maid/ assistant, Angele at a restaurant and continues to pout about the agony of having terminal cancer. Surprisingly, Angele is not as friendly as one would expect her to be considering she is on Cleo's payroll. Angele continues to order Cleo around as if she were a child making Cleo's character weak and pitiful throughout the film. Midway through the film Cleo becomes fed up with Angele and her musician friends. She storms out of the rehearsal wearing a fitted black dress in all natural vibe. I felt this was the turning point in the movie where she quits feeling sorry for herself, and sets out on a voyage to see life as Florence and not her show business character Cleo. Varda does wonders capturing the close ups and essence of Cleo's life while waiting for the news from her doctor. Varda's directing allows the audience to become a part of the movie. I started to think what would I do if I had terminal cancer, how would I act. I also enjoyed the props and simplicity of this film. It was easy to follow, and although it was in black and white I found it more dramatic then I would if it were in color. In addition, the waiting made this film very suspenseful and captivating for the viewer. Overall, I would recommend this film to anyone.