MUBI

This is a brilliant film: well-directed, the cinematography is exceptional, and a wonderful story that is tighter, and smarter than it perhaps first seems.

When I first saw this, some 6 years ago now, it became one of my favorite French films, stylish with some wit, intelligence, and excellent close observation of a character at its’ core.

Roughly 9 months ago I started getting sick, and was diagnosed with a form of cancer in March. It is now – after aggressive treatment – in remission, but I now see this film in a completely different light. The emotions one experiences upon first diagnosis of a life-threatening illness are all represented perfectly in this film. They are compressed – in real life, the roller coaster that Cleo experiences are stretched out over days and weeks, but they’re all in here, and the translation of it into something cinematic and artful from both actress and director is pitch-perfect.

The primary discomfort I note from others with this film is Cleo’s status, narcissism and aloofness to anything beyond her wonderful, artificial world. The truth of the matter is that there is a little of that in each of us, and this film perfectly shows how quickly the prospect of perhaps premature death deflates and trivializes all we once though important, while simultaneously shifting the focus to other qualities of human life, like personal, human connection – as seen in the last 1/4th of this film. Onscreen it’s quiet, unguarded – all the other prior preoccupations have fallen away, leaving only connection, and – in the final shots – a resignation that doesn’t signal defeat, but – rather – is indicative of hope. Or, at least, living in the moment and dealing with whatever is dished out as it comes, rather than overreacting – as Cleo once would have done with a poorly written song.

Not just a beautiful to look at piece of French cinema, but a deep film that reveals a lot of life and soul. You should see it.

I was really disappointed with this film. Or rather, parts of this film. Agnes Varda calls it a portrait of a woman painted onto a documentary of 1960’s Paris. The documentary part I like (the scene in the hat store is absolutely brilliant, and one of my favorite scenes of anything), but the story, especially the ending, is ultimately too cheesy for my liking. Basically, Cleo just runs around being a major bitch and suddenly realizes the meaning of life and falls into an unconditional and unbelievable romance. But it’s a movie that I can’t hate simply because of the amazingly gorgeous cinematography.

EDIT: I have pretty much completely changed my mind. This is an incredible film. The story is a little annoying, and I really dislike the last 10 minutes, but everything else is so great. Sorry, Mubi.

Cleo From 5 to 7 summed up in one sentence: In this worrisome world, life always finds a way to bring you back to serenity.

disheartenment —> reassurance -—> serenity….repeat.

A short time after watching the film, I was slightly confused as to why she was happy, but now I think I’ve gotten it. She realized that death, no matter the manifestation, how grave or minuscule it is, it will come. It is inevitable and it can’t be stopped. So why fear it? Fear is for those that do not know how to conquer a problem or hindrance. So why wait? Just live.

“As long as I am beautiful I am even more alive than others.” This was an 90 minute journey from fear of the future and death, to acceptance (even love) of the present and life. One word for the plot, melodrama. One word for the characters, harmonious. One word for the main character, chaos. Rabier makes a great use of automobiles as the film is linked together by a variety of moving POV’s, the cinematography is innovative and turns into a tour of 1960’s Paris all while you’re listening to the rhythmically naturalistic dialogue of Varda. I’ll knock it for several unusual editing choices, but Cleo From 5 to 7 is a great film: short, modest, and moving.

Absolutely fantastic. The cinematography, acting, structure (shown in real time), the music, everything. Cleo is such a compelling and well written character. The film drowns the audience in her total self absorption as she constantly frets over being the center of attention everywhere she goes. But its clear she couldn’t go on another day if she wasn’t the beautiful young vixen she is at this exact moment. To her the future is a terrifying place and despite her fame and admirers the present isn’t much more comforting. Superb.

I had purposely not read up on the film, even to find out exactly what it was about, and I enjoyed how the film took shape in strolls through the park, taxis, sculpture classes, and other here-and-there outings through Paris, as filtered through the gloomy and anxious perception of the titular character. I’ll have to go along with what user Mao mentioned, finding this film more of a poem than a narrative work or even a series of events. From the get-go the “meter” of the film, if I can use that word, seemed to attach itself to the restless Cleo, where even the movement of the camera routinely caught me off-guard in an enjoyable way. I admire the film’s inventive play with the viewer, bracketing with the occasional montage, the rise and fall of the music, and keeping the threat of tragedy never far from view. All told, my time spent with the poor girl proved an engaging closeup.

Cleo is definitely one of the greater French New Wave upstarts. Much like Breathless and the 400 Blows, the film is essentially plotless in the traditional sense and simply follows Cleo for a period of time. Another significant difference is its decided feminine perspective; yet, it’s never presented in a manner that derides men but empowers women. There’s some great New Wave touches and contributors such as Legrand’s score as well as appearances by key figures of that movement. Personally, I enjoyed this more than Breathless and 400 Blows and the direction feels more sure than any of the other New Wave debuts. It’s a shame she’s not mentioned nearly as much as Godard or Truffaut.