Estrogen New Wave

I just discovered my new favorite filmmaker: Agnes Varda. If you think the French New Wave of Godard, Malle, and Truffaut is a little too male-centered, Varda and her 1961 flick, "Cleo from 5 to 7," will help to inject a little estrogen into the movement's mix. Still, this film about a pop singer who wanders around Paris as she waits for cancer test results encompasses the best of the New Wave triumvirate. Like Godard, Varda likes the in-between moments of life, like riding in cabs. Like Truffaut, she's cinematically playful, such as when the camera sways back and forth as the characters listen to music. And like Malle, Varda is serious when it comes to issues of life and death.