January 14, 2026
FILM: A PRIVATE LIFE
DIRECTED BY: REBECCA ZLOTOWSKI
STARRING: JODIE FOSTER, DANIEL AUTEUIL, VIRGINIE EFIRA
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Since premiering at the Cannes Film Festival last May, A Private Life has often been referred to as Jodie Foster’s French movie. She plays an American psychiatrist living in France and Foster speaks the country’s language in almost every scene. Some would be surprised to know that she attended a private school in Los Angeles and learned the language beginning at the age of 9. As such, her French is very good. The question then is if the film from which she utilizes her language skills is worth seeing. The answer is mixed. Foster is great, as always, but the story becomes a bit convoluted and only partially successful at communicating a solid message.
Early in the film, Foster’s character, Lilian Steiner finds out that one of her patients, Paula, has passed away under mysterious circumstances. Throughout the story she attempts to determine if the death was a suicide or murder. Her search involves several characters including Lilian’s ex-husband Gabriel (Daniel Auteuil.) This is where the writing goes a bit haywire.
One avenue for Lilian’s investigation involves a hypnotherapist who somehow takes her through a past life regression when it appears that Lilian might have had a romantic interest in Paula. The significance of this is baffling. Was she Paula’s mistress in another life? Was Lilian subsequently attracted to Paula in the present? None of this is explored to any great extent but it does call to mind a larger theme the film seems to be exploring which is belief.
Lilian’s practice uses the out of fashion Freudian approach to therapy which involves patients lying down as they delve into their personal and unconscious life. Why Lilian has gone this route seems more plot-driven than logical by today’s psychotherapy standards. Characters must believe that the approach still works, just as Lilian seems to hold some stock in hypnotherapy which can also be seen as a questionable therapeutic technique. Do either of these approaches work? Maybe, but one must believe in their effectiveness to experience some form of success with them.
Similarly, as a therapist, Lilian must believe what her patients are telling her. To do so, she listens to cassette tapes (another seemingly outdated recording device) of her patients to get a greater grasp on what they tell her and to use it piece to together the puzzle of Paula’s death. Lilian’s obsession results in her being less than fully present with her other patients. This leads to another theme associated with Lilian: an inability to remain present. Is she not taking enough breaths to see what might be really in front of her? We know that she has something of a distant relationship with her son Julien even though they seem to live in the same large apartment building. She’s not fully present with him or her new grandchild. (Thinking of Jodie Foster as a grandmother is startling, especially if you’ve grown up with her on screen.)
It's hard to say if all these elements really add up to anything substantial. The film is ultimately less about the death of Paula than on who Lilian is as a character and what her weaknesses are. One of the other recurring motifs involves Lilian’s inability to control the tears that stream down her cheek. Is this an indication of a truly sad character or someone that has a distorted or blurred vision of her patients, self, and the crime at hand?
There’s also the curious choice of using The Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer to open the film and to reuse it later. Is writer/director Rebecca Zlotowski trying to lead us off path by suggesting such a killer is on the loose? Again, a question without a solid answer.
So, there are some limitations to the script if it continues to offer questions without a lot of answers. The reason to see this film then is for Jodie Foster. Watching her act along some major French actors speaking the language is a wonder to see. The film was no doubt a challenge for her. That’s why it’s always great to watch her work. She’s always interested in taking on new and original roles. She is one of our treasured actors and always deserves to be taken seriously even when the material might not be completely up to par.
A Private Life opens theatrically this week.
FILM: A PRIVATE LIFE
DIRECTED BY: REBECCA ZLOTOWSKI
STARRING: JODIE FOSTER, DANIEL AUTEUIL, VIRGINIE EFIRA
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Since premiering at the Cannes Film Festival last May, A Private Life has often been referred to as Jodie Foster’s French movie. She plays an American psychiatrist living in France and Foster speaks the country’s language in almost every scene. Some would be surprised to know that she attended a private school in Los Angeles and learned the language beginning at the age of 9. As such, her French is very good. The question then is if the film from which she utilizes her language skills is worth seeing. The answer is mixed. Foster is great, as always, but the story becomes a bit convoluted and only partially successful at communicating a solid message.
Early in the film, Foster’s character, Lilian Steiner finds out that one of her patients, Paula, has passed away under mysterious circumstances. Throughout the story she attempts to determine if the death was a suicide or murder. Her search involves several characters including Lilian’s ex-husband Gabriel (Daniel Auteuil.) This is where the writing goes a bit haywire.
One avenue for Lilian’s investigation involves a hypnotherapist who somehow takes her through a past life regression when it appears that Lilian might have had a romantic interest in Paula. The significance of this is baffling. Was she Paula’s mistress in another life? Was Lilian subsequently attracted to Paula in the present? None of this is explored to any great extent but it does call to mind a larger theme the film seems to be exploring which is belief.
Lilian’s practice uses the out of fashion Freudian approach to therapy which involves patients lying down as they delve into their personal and unconscious life. Why Lilian has gone this route seems more plot-driven than logical by today’s psychotherapy standards. Characters must believe that the approach still works, just as Lilian seems to hold some stock in hypnotherapy which can also be seen as a questionable therapeutic technique. Do either of these approaches work? Maybe, but one must believe in their effectiveness to experience some form of success with them.
Similarly, as a therapist, Lilian must believe what her patients are telling her. To do so, she listens to cassette tapes (another seemingly outdated recording device) of her patients to get a greater grasp on what they tell her and to use it piece to together the puzzle of Paula’s death. Lilian’s obsession results in her being less than fully present with her other patients. This leads to another theme associated with Lilian: an inability to remain present. Is she not taking enough breaths to see what might be really in front of her? We know that she has something of a distant relationship with her son Julien even though they seem to live in the same large apartment building. She’s not fully present with him or her new grandchild. (Thinking of Jodie Foster as a grandmother is startling, especially if you’ve grown up with her on screen.)
It's hard to say if all these elements really add up to anything substantial. The film is ultimately less about the death of Paula than on who Lilian is as a character and what her weaknesses are. One of the other recurring motifs involves Lilian’s inability to control the tears that stream down her cheek. Is this an indication of a truly sad character or someone that has a distorted or blurred vision of her patients, self, and the crime at hand?
There’s also the curious choice of using The Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer to open the film and to reuse it later. Is writer/director Rebecca Zlotowski trying to lead us off path by suggesting such a killer is on the loose? Again, a question without a solid answer.
So, there are some limitations to the script if it continues to offer questions without a lot of answers. The reason to see this film then is for Jodie Foster. Watching her act along some major French actors speaking the language is a wonder to see. The film was no doubt a challenge for her. That’s why it’s always great to watch her work. She’s always interested in taking on new and original roles. She is one of our treasured actors and always deserves to be taken seriously even when the material might not be completely up to par.
A Private Life opens theatrically this week.