Cléo from 5 to 7 (2018)

recommended

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Agnes Varda's travelogue from the early 60's follows a singer's movements in a 2 hour stretch (ala High Noon, playing out in real time) as she awaits the results of a medical exam. What we find is the empty life the singer leads as she deals w/sycophantic songwriters, unnecessary spending sprees & visits to cafes for drinks that may fill the void which is her life. Very compelling as the journey says as much about the singer as it does Paris as well as being an important New Wave film directed by a female director who is still working today.

A beautiful blonde walks down the street. Everyone stares. As Cléo walks through the busy streets of Paris, everyone goes about their day but not without admiring her gorgeous appearance. Her appearance, is so attractive that everyone, even women stare, or is it that the public stares for another reason? Cléo's beauty unmatched through the film suggests a theme of vanity and superficial obsession in which the main character chooses to hide behind, she states "Ugliness is a kind of death... As long as I'm beautiful, I'm alive more than others."Cléo from 5 to 7 was directed and written by Agnès Varda, one of the few women writer and directors of her time. The main actors include a famous singer named Cléo, her guardian or maid Angela and there is a brief appearance of the following characters; Antoine, Dorothée, Bob and her lover. The film was released in April, 1962 and has an average rating of 7.9 out of 10 stars which exemplifies a decent film. The film is based on the Cléo's painful two hour wait for the result of a biopsy that will determine whether she has cancer or not. Although clearly in turmoil, Cléo proves to be quite the selfish and vain character. Treating her maid Angela with little to no respect and expecting everyone around her to love her and shower her with attention. Ironically, when she walks the streets, she seems to feel uncomfortable from everyone starting at her and giving her attention. The two hours of waiting time prove agonizing for her as the thought of having a terminal illness crushes her spirits of a healthy and beautiful life. As she walks the streets she is dressed in black as if already mourning her own death. According to Cléo, "your beauty is your health." Yet the character changes through the progression of the film as she later realizes that there is also "beauty in imperfections." One of my favorite parts of the movie is when Cléo is swinging in her apartment as pair of wings hang on her wall and align perfectly when she is at the highest point of her swing and Angela rocks in her char. This scene proves the child like characteristics of Cléo and the motherly traits that are shown by Angela. The swinging and the rocking set up a perfect paradox between the life of a young lady and the life of an older woman. The music was also beautiful. The song performed in her apartment was a very emotional love song. It seemed like a perfect song for her situation. I recommend this movie, especially to fans of musicals. This movie is geared towards adults since it contains many themes that are not clearly pointed out in the film. I liked the movie because of its theme of the fear of death, which is something that most of us can relate to. I also enjoyed the movie because of the way that it was shot. Some of the scenes make you feel the anxiety that Cléo must have felt throughout the two hours.

It's not like I simply love everything that is French. Au contraire! But there is no denying it that French movies from the old days often have something very special about them. Artistic, quiet, beautiful, engaging and for from boring, even though not an awful lot is always happening in it, as is also the case with this movie.It actually is its simplicity that makes this movie. Everything is very clear about this movie; we know who the main characters is and what she is going through. It's a movie without little complications to its story and instead decides to simply follow its main character and a couple of hours of her life.Another beautiful thing about this movie is that it's actually about a pretty heavy and serious subject. This movie could had so easily turned into something dramatic and sentimental but it instead feels like a very positive movie. It's a nice spin to the genre and it takes a real pleasant approach, that also helps to make this movie a very engaging one.This is at least what I got from this movie. As often is the case with these sort of movies, you might get something totally different out of it. It's also obviously being filled with metaphors and symbolism, without this ever becoming too distracting by the way. But because of this storytelling approach, you might interpret things different as I did, so it really still above all things is something you have to experience for yourself.It's a beautifully shot movie with some great camera-work at times. The movie is deliberately being kept small and simplistic, with both its story and visuals, which all was something director Agnès Varda obviously understood- and handled very well. It's a subtly done film, that perhaps requires multiple viewing to fully get everything out of it.Nicely done genre film with a great approach to it.8/10 http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

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.