Jodie Foster’s French!

For most of us it’s never easy to learn a second language and in our Editors case its difficult enough for him to speak his own language being only able to use stock phrases that include, ‘A pint, please’, ‘Where’s the toilet’ and ‘You’re mistaken, officer’ (You’re fired!’ – Ed). But having seen John Malkovich speak fluent English in  ‘Mr Blake, At Your Service’  it’s Jodie Foster who steps up to the plate in, ‘A Private Life’ with a perfect command of the French language.

The revealing of a private life….

Here she plays Lilian Steiner, a divorced American psychoanalyst working in Paris and shocked at news of the suicide of client Paula (Virginie Efira). Lilian is soon confronted by Paula’s distraught and angry widow Simon (Mathieu Amalric) who blames her for prescribing anti-depressants which she had OD’d on.  But it’s a visit from Paula’s daughter that leads her to believe that foul play was afoot.

Turning amateur detective with her ex-husband Gabriel (Daniel Auteil) they start investigating and things quickly spiral when recordings of sessions with her clients are stolen from Lilian’s office. And then it gets weird when Lilian starts undergoing hypnotherapy regressing to a past life where she and Lilian were lovers in a orchestra during WWII where at one point Simon conducts with a pistol. Like Meghan Markle’s various businesses it’s all very bizarre, irrational and ultimately makes little sense.

the verdict….

Co-written and directed by Rebecca Zlotowski this is a kind of Htichcock meets Only Murders in the Building without any of the flourishes of a set piece or witty one liners. A Private Life is influenced by Hitchcock’s ‘I Confess’ and to a lesser extent ‘ Spellbound’ and even ‘Rear Window’ but this is a slow affair that leads to a not wholly satisfactory end and its Jodie Foster who really carries the film.

related feature : ‘Mr Blake, At Your Service’ – John Malkovich’s French farce!

related feature : Toby-Alexander Smith on A Murder Between Friends, working with Joan Collins & life after EastEnders

Here’s the trailer….