Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962)

Cleo, a singer and hypochondriac, becomes increasingly worried that she might have cancer while awaiting test results from her doctor.

Director:

Agnès Varda

Writer:

Agnès Varda

Stars:

Corinne Marchand, Antoine Bourseiller, Dominique Davray

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Corinne Marchand	...	Florence 'Cléo' Victoire
Antoine Bourseiller	...	Antoine
Dominique Davray	...	Angèle
Dorothée Blanck	...	Dorothée (as Dorothée Blank)
Michel Legrand	...	Bob, le pianiste
José Luis de Vilallonga	...	José, l'amant de Cléo
Loye Payen	...	Irma, la cartomancienne
Renée Duchateau	...	La vendeuse de chapeaux
Lucienne Marchand	...	La conductrice du taxi
Serge Korber	...	Maurice, dit 'plumitif'
Robert Postec	...	Le docteur Valineau
Jean-Luc Godard	...	L'homme aux lunettes noires / Actor in silent film
Anna Karina	...	Anna, la fiancée blonde / Actress in silent film
Emilienne Caille	...	La fiancée noire / Actress in silent film
Eddie Constantine	...	L'arroseur / Actor in silent film

Storyline

Two hours from 17:00 to 19:00h on the longest day of the year in the life of a young Parisienne is presented. Florence Victoire, who is better known by her stage name Cléo Victoire (as in Cleopatra), is a singer with three hit singles to her name, and as such some renown. Two days ago, she went in for some tests for abdominal issues to see if it is cancer. She will be getting the results today at 18:30h. She is certain that it will be a terminal cancer diagnosis, her mind fixated on that outcome and what it actually means. This belief affects how she approaches the day, from her encounters with friends and acquaintances to what she observes in total strangers around her. It could be as simple as how she views the lyrics to new songs presented to her from her songwriting team, to her feelings about a conversation she overhears in a café between a couple having relationship problems, to the typical sweet nothings spoken to her from her lover, José. There are certain things that do ...

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Plot Keywords:

cancer | fear of death | french new wave | color sequence | singer | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

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Goofs

The dolly track used in the final shot can be seen as the actors walk away from the hospital. Agnes Varda recounts in the much later documentary 'Anecdotes and Memories' how devastated she was to see the track and convinced the producers to allow a re-shoot at great expense. However none of the retakes matched the emotional quality of the original take so she retained it despite the goof.

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Quotes

Florence, 'Cléo Victoire': I'm suffocating.
Angèle: Do a bit of exercising.
[Cleo lights a cigarette]

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Connections

Referenced in Le joli mai (1963)

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Soundtracks

La menteuse
Performed by Corinne Marchand (feat. Michel Legrand et son orchestre)

User Reviews

Why I love French Film

This film is a perfect example of why I love French film. In a word, realism. In many words, the desire to capture life's most important, daring, fanciful, yet haphazard moments with the faith that by doing so you are illustrating a timeless notion. Cleo from 5 to 7 plucks a single string from a singer's life and by pulling at it, illustrates the fabric of the beautiful and unique, but predetermined world that it is woven into. What illustrates this best is the third scene of the movie when the heroine flits about a local shop browsing hats. The camera shows her shopping but also captures many reflections that expose the larger world around her. The window pane showcases soldiers marching by, foreshadowing the war in Algiers. The mirrors take snapshots of Cleo with different head-dresses all be-speaking a future she won't choose. In the background, her maid sits disapprovingly. Small details like these, that are often neglected in other movies, are the backbone of this work of art. Cleo from 5 to 7 is a movie about much more than two hours in the lead character's life. It is about the character's whole life as illustrated by two hours. Like Joyce's Uylsses, it finds parallels between the struggles of a day with the struggles of a life.

Details

Official Sites:

Ciné Tamaris [France]

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

11 April 1962 (France)

Also Known As:

Cleo from 5 to 7

Filming Locations:

Rue du Pont-Neuf, Paris 1, Paris, France

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,886

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ciné Tamaris, Rome Paris Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1