Cléo from 5 to 7 (2018)

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.

Another film for me taken from the pages of the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die I was intrigued by what the title of this French film would refer to, and it turned out to be an interesting concept, from director Agnés Varda. Basically French pop singer Cleo (Corinne Marchand) is worried that she may be suffering a life threatening virus or cancer, so she awaits the results of her medical tests from the doctor. From five o'clock she has two hours to wait until she knows her state of health by about seven o'clock, and all she can do in this time is hang around with several friends she does not normally hang with as well as strangers while contemplating what will happen. Almost nothing happens in these two hours while Cleo thinks over her possible fate, and she is questioning whether or not there is any reason to continue with any life at all, and she feels really isolated and alone despite being with the certain people. She does eventually find some support and good sincere conversation with a stranger in the park, a former soldier in the Algerian War named Antoine (Antoine Bourseiller), and he is happy to come with her to the hospital. The end sees Cleo get the results as the doctor passes her in the car, she is told she does have a problem, but with therapy that will start immediately the next day they will be able to help her and she will most likely be able to pass it. Also starring Dorothée Blanck as Dorothée, Michel Legrand as Bob the Pianist, Dominique Davray as Angèle and José Luis De Vilallonga as The Lover. The film should obviously be two hours because of the title, it is only an hour and a half, but that doesn't matter, Marchand gives a good emotional performance and with a little bit of singing as well, it is a film that comprises of almost nothing happening, but actually that gives it a realistic approach bearing the situation, an interesting enough drama. Very good!

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/

Cleo form 5 to 7, is a poignant tale of a young singer, who must face her own possible mortality before she is ready. The film starts with Cleo visiting a fortune teller's office, where we find that, Cleo who is waiting for the results of a doctor's test, will experience a major life change soon. Unknown to Cleo, the fortune teller speaks in an aside to the audience, and predicts that Cleo has cancer. This film which runs one and a half hours, and literally spans one and a half hours, is basically a journey that Cleo takes. It is in the moment that Cleo faces her deepest fears that she realizes she has no true friends. Scared of her possible test results, instead of spending the time with friends and family, she spends it wandering around Paris, and with a soldier on leave. Neither her companion, lover, friend, or producers, can understand what she is going through. Cleo may at first choose not to burden her friends with her problems, but the longer she tours Paris the more she realizes that a true friend would be there with her, she wouldn't have to worry about annoying them with her problems, and she would know that they would always have an open ear for her. It is as she walks around a park in Paris that she meets a young soldier on leave who will be going back to fight soon. To Cleo, although it may seem as simple as pouring her problems onto a man she will never have to see again, if she so desires; she is really unconsciously choosing this stranger over all the people in her life. She may subconsciously believe that the soldier know what it is like to be scared and alone, and may believe that he will best sympathize with her problems, since he too has felt fear, as opposed to her other friends, who basically live the golden life.