Such a frustrating disappointment

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

When I think of interesting filmmakers, the world over, whose movies are always a pleasure to watch, I thank God every day for Agnès Varda. I had her '4 Films by' Criterion boxed set, seemingly forever, left unwatched, and I don't really know why. Perhaps I felt her films wouldn't excite me enough, I don't know. I certainly enjoy foreign, and French, filmmaking enough. Maybe it was because she was female, I don't know. I hope not, but I'm simply being honest. Sometimes I'm apprehensive about starting to investigate the works of a director who's different from me: Female, non-English, non-Caucasian. I think it's difficult for me to start, because I'm afraid that I won't be able to fully emphasize with their sphere of reference, and thus won't be able to either appreciate or enjoy the filmic experience as much as I should. Once I start, and watch that first film I see of theirs, I'm fine. But until that point, it's truly a challenge.My university library had her two recent critically-acclaimed films, 'The Gleaners and I' and its sequel, on one DVD, and one of my favourite critics, Roger Ebert, had made a 'Great Movie' article about the original. So I gave that series a viewing, each film a separate night, and I fell in love with her as a person, and found that her films were not going to be a challenge for me at all. Thus I then turned to my previously-imposing, aforementioned boxed set, and went through it chronologically.This, the second film of the set, was extraordinary, basically a real-time cinematic exercise of a lady who is waiting for the results of a biopsy, and thus wondering if her quality of life is going to be seriously challenged or not. In it, as I've found in all of her films so far, there's an extraordinary visual flair, a great and natural storytelling facility present, and you can really tell that Varda both loves people and is glad to be alive, and it shows in everything she does. If you are in a similar boat, and are reluctant to investigate Varda's works, please do yourself a favour and don't hesitate any longer. Appreciate this extraordinary woman and her work while she is still alive. You will never be the same.

Here is the story of a beautiful French singer in the unenviable position of needing to wait two hours until learning the results of a dire medical test.I was reminded of the classic short story "The Lady or the Tiger" as I spent the time with her, wondering whether she would live or have to face her demise.This film is refreshingly improvisational as we wend our way through Paris as Cleo (Corinne Marchand) visits a tarot-card reader, a café, her own apartment in which she rehearses a song with a pianist played by "Parapluies de Cherbourg" composer Michel Legrand, an art studio where her friend poses nude, and, finally, a park in which she converses with a soldier on leave from Algeria (Antoine Bourseiller).Marchand is gorgeous here, wearing everything well, from her sexy dress or housecoat to her wig or triangular fur hat. The camera adores her. Rich and gifted, she is also impoverished because her lover (a suave Jose Luis de Vilallonga) speaks lovingly yet will not truly give of himself. And, of course, she is potentially facing a very premature death.Cleo demonstrates bravery as she passes the time, occasionally navel-gazing, growing maudlin, and even boring us a little. (Who among us wouldn't do the same in a similar situation?) Cleo's repartee with Antoine as the film draws to its close is endearing and compelling. One even wishes that the drama could have started with the pair, but that would have been a different film.Truman Capote is credited here with writing the dialog, and I wonder whether he did so in the original French. If so, I'm impressed.In all, this was a powerful experience.

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.

The 1962 directed by Agnès Varda known as Cleo de 5 a 7 is a French film about a woman who's life seems to change because of a psychic's prediction. And she only goes to the psychic because of her health and she wants to know if she'll be all right. Throughout the movie she is depressed because her illness and doesn't know if its fatal. She believes that she has cancer and will soon die of this disease, so she walks around town just enjoying everything since she thinks it's almost the end for her. When she goes to the park she meets a soldier who is going to war the next day in Algeria and they start talking and kick it off pretty well. They go throughout town talking, well he did most of the talking, but at last they decide to visit the doctor to see if she is in fact ill or not. When they get there they find that the doctor isn't in, but decided to walk to his office anyway. The doctor appears in his car and tells Cleo that she will be fine that nothing is wrong with her, and from there she was happy and her and the soldier walk off together and the movie ends. The movie confronts several of the themes such as existentialism, including discussions of mortality, the idea of despair, and leading a meaningful life. The director did a great job with the film, putting the mood of the film the way Cleo felt throughout. Such as when she was feeling gloomy, the music was the same, and when she felt happy the same with the music. This movie was a great film to watch, which is why it won the Critics Award and nominated for the Palme d'Or.