On pins and needles awaiting the results of a crucial biopsy test, self-obsessed Florence "Cléo" Victoire--a photogenic, fresh, statuesque singer on her way to stardom--stops by Madame Irma's home for a tarot card reading, at 5 p.m. precisely. Prepared for the worst, and with almost two hours to kill, mournful Cléo meanders through the sun-blessed streets of the picturesque Parisian metropolis, struggling to understand and come to terms with illness and mortality during a long, eventful, thirteen-chapter evening from 5 to 7. As she sets adrift in the bustling city, Cléo has a chance encounter with the amusing young soldier on leave from the Algerian War, Antoine: an emotional catalyst in times of need. Now, all Cléo has left is hope.
—Nick Riganas