Cléo de 5 à 7

Cleo from 5 to 7

France/Italy 1962
produced by
Georges de Beauregard, Carlo Ponti for Rome Paris Films, Ciné Tamaris
directed by Agnès Varda
starring Corinne Marchand, Antoine Bourseiller, Dominique Davray, Dorothée Blank, Michel Legrand, José Luis de Villalonga, Loye Payen, Renée Duchateau, Lucienne Marchand, Serge Korber, Robert Postec, Raymond Cauchetier, Jean-Luc Godard, Anna Karina, Eddie Constantine, Jean-Claude Brialy, Jean Champion, Georges de Beauregard, Danièle Delorme, Fernande Engler, Sami Frey, Yves Robert, Alan Scott, Jean-Pierre Taste, Arthur Brunet
written by Agnès Varda, music by Michel Legrand

review by
Mike Haberfelner

Available on DVD ! To buy, click on link(s) below and help keep this site afloat   CLICK HERE to buy from French language, English subtitles Always make sure of DVD-compatibility !!!

One and a half hours (real time equals reel time) in the life of pop singer Cléo (Corinne Marchand):

It all starts at a clairvoyant (Loye Payen) who tells her of a grave illness, which only confirms her fears that she has cancer - for which she has been tested, but she's afraid to get the results. In the meantime, she annoys everyone with what is soon revealed to be nothing more than hypochondria, including her maid (Dominique Davray), her musicians/composers (Michel Legrand, serge Korber), and her nude model friend (Dorothée Blank), but since nobody is taking her too seriously anymore, nobody can offer any real relief.

Eventually, Cléo runs away on her own, and in a park, she, the born pessimist who has a bright future ahead, meets Antoine (Antoine Bourseiller), a soldier who can't hep being an optimist even though he will be sent to Algeria the very next day. Against all odds, the two get along very well, and he gets her to face her fears, go to the hospital better now than ever, and get her results (something she has always shied away from) to know about her condition for certain.

At the hospital, the doctor confirms that she is indeed sufering from something, but nothing a little treatment can't cure - and thanks to Antoine, she has shed all her fears ...

Jean-Luc Godard, Anna Karina and Eddie Constantine all appear in a silent film-within-the-film.

Even if my synopsis might suggest it, this is no movie about big affairs, just trivial things like going to a café, talking to people, buying a hat and whatnot. It's just the context (Cléo waiting for her test results) that gives these things an extra dimension and holds them together narratively. Add to that a hip directorial effort by Agnès Varda, and you get a very nice piece of Nouvelle Vague cinema.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

Feeling lucky ? Want to search any of my partnershops yourself for more, better results ?

The links below will take you just there !!!

Find Cleo from 5 to 7 at the amazons ...   amazon.com   amazon.co.uk   amazon.de Looking for imports ? Find Cleo from 5 to 7 here ...   eThaiCD.com Your shop for all things Thai Something naughty ? (Must be over 18 to go there !)   find Cleo from 5 to 7 at adultvideouniverse.com

Thanks for watching !!!