The renowned psychiatrist Lilian Steiner mounts a private investigation into the death of one of her patients, whom she is convinced has been murdered.

It seems like a long time since I’ve seen Jodie Foster in a feature film. As a kid in the 90’s Jodie Foster seemed to be in nearly every movie going - and varied films too. From Anna and the King to Flight Plan and Inside Man Jodie Foster seemed to be everywhere. And now she’s back in the lead role of A Private Life and what a hell of a comeback. At a slow and steady pace A Private Life draws you further into its story richly rewarding the audience with an intimate exploration of life itself anchored by a rapturous performance from Jodie Foster. 

Lilian Steiner (Foster) is a financially successful and highly organized career woman who runs a beautiful Parisian flat. Her pragmatic and resolute persona has served her well, but she struggles with emotional detachment in her personal life, including a strained relationship with her estranged son. 

Her carefully controlled world is thrown into disarray following the unexpected death of a patient she had been treating for years. Convinced the death is a murder, Lilian begins a private investigation. The unraveling mystery takes her into unexpected and at times surreal territory, forcing her to question her well-established routines and confront her own unconscious feelings. Along the way, she reconnects with her ex-husband, Gabriel (played by Daniel Auteuil), who provides playful companionship and assistance in her sleuthing.

A Private Life is more than merely a murder mystery - that is but the canvas on which it creates its marvelous work. It really is a stripping away of self; self examination and discovery in all its wonder and horror all wrapped up in one.

And it’s terribly subtle about it too, letting the narrative unravel as Lilian’s life unravels too. But in this disentanglement she begins to find herself again in the midst of life, work, and being which makes for a terrific final act. 

And at its heart A Private Life belongs to Jodie Foster. She is tremendous, plumbing depths that few actresses can manage to go to. It feels like we are hidden figures witnessing someone’s real life unfold. And all while speaking predominantly in French throughout. Truly mind blowing.

At a slow and steady pace A Private Life draws you further into its story richly rewarding the audience with an intimate exploration of life itself anchored by a rapturous performance from Jodie Foster.

★★★★