In this film, an insecure, vain pop star, Cleo, waits to hear the results of a biopsy. She spends time with her maid, her lover, and her band who regard her fear of cancer as just another of her moods, and reassure her that she is young and beautiful so there is nothing to worry about. Her self-pitying mood is pushed to the edge and she sets off on her own, reconnecting with a series of people who she relates to more authentically and eventually hearing her diagnosis.The film is brilliant in how it shows the paranoiac and isolated feelings of a person facing death unexpectedly. Everyone seems to Cleo to be staring at her. The subject of death comes up casually again and again, but suddenly it is no longer a joke to her. Faced with something as overwhelming as cancer and death, Cleo falls back on superstition and self-pity.The singing adds an interesting element, that is both beautiful and on point. There is a scene where Cleo sings a beautiful tragic song about a woman dying of love. She is moved by the tragedy, but the irony is that she and her lover are using each other and don't have real feelings for each other. Her other songs have to do with sexy manipulative women who get whatever they want, which is ironic because while Cleo's whims are indulged, she is fundamentally childish and without a will of her own, manipulated by those around her.Cleo's suffering seems authentic and moving, but her salvation as the film goes on somewhat less so. It is an inspiring idea that the fear of death can be overcome by moving from a shallow mentality to a state of real human connection. Unfortunately, that the idea is one one would like to be true doesn't make its presentation in the movie convincing. In particular, the end of the movie, where a brief encounter with a sympathetic young soldier seems to cure her fear of death doesn't convince. Related to this issue is the heavy-handedness in which we are reminded by voice-overs and dialogue that Cleo is childish and caught up in herself, as if it's only due to being emotionally deficient that her potential cancer is a problem at all.Overall, a movie worth watching, well done and with an interesting subject matter. The overall premise is fascinating but there are not many particular scenes from this movie that deeply moved me or stick in my memory, so all in all not essential.

Cléo (Corinne Marchand) is a pop singer who wanders around Paris while she awaits her medical test results. As Cléo readies herself to meet with her doctor at 7 o'clock, she meets with several friends and strangers while trying to grapple with mortality.I love how the film starts with color tarot cards, then switches to black and white. This in itself is a stark contrast, but then so is the black with the white. Sometimes color film cannot capture the difference as well, and for that reason I think the right choice was made here.What is the deal with the art students? Or the kid in the street playing the toy piano? Those people are quite confusing to me, and seem to be important though I cannot imagine why.The film is noted for its handling of several of the themes of existentialism, including discussions of mortality, the idea of despair, and leading a meaningful life. The film has a strong feminine viewpoint and raises questions about how women are perceived. The role of mirrors are prevalent to symbolize self-obsession. I did not gather all this from watching, but only after from reading. This in itself is cause for a second viewing.The director, Varda, is known for her views on feminism and particularly abortion, so it is not strange that this film is feminist. Though, like I say, I did not really catch that. Aside from having a female lead (which is rare enough, I suppose) there was little that made her stand out as a "strong" woman...

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.

Cleo from 5 to 7 is probably Agnes Varda's most well known masterpiece. As all art movies its more about the visual style than the actual plot. The plot can be summed up as the story of a famous singer who realizes that she may die of cancer. She awaits her results with a mosey sense of gloom and dread. The movie is basically following her around from 5 o clock to 7 o clock with everything she does documented for the viewer. We see a strange relationship between Cleo and her servant. Her servant is strange in that she always tries to undermine Cleo as if she is jealous of her lifestyle. I found the servant to be a bit of a sadist enjoying the pain of Cleo under the guise of friendship. Cleo eventually runs into her lively and youthful friend and hangs out with her without telling her of her illness. They eventually split ways and Cleo is again left alone to cope with her tragic future. She eventually meets a young soldier whom she initially despises, but grows fond of as she realizes that he is not interested in getting in her pants. They connect on a human basis with conversations about life. Together they learn the truth about her disease, but the soldier eventually goes off to Algeria leaving Cleo alone again. All in all Cleo from 5 to 7 is an interesting window into human emotion and the need for human interaction.