A Private Life

A Private Life was a movie that should have been better than this. It is a movie about a woman who works as a Psychologist who investigates the recent death of her patients. Jodie Foster speaks French in this film, and I love how the director cast Foster for the leading role. Additionally, this is the first Jodie Foster film I have watched since Taxi Driver, which I saw back in 1976.

Jodie Foster is magnificent in the role of the highly self-assured psychiatrist Dr. Steiner, whose tranquil life is turned upside down when she learns of the suicide of a long-time patient. Ironically, the patient used sleeping pills that had been prescribed by Dr. Steiner. Convinced that there was no reason for her to take her own life, she begins an increasingly obsessive "investigation," in the course of which threatening things actually come to light. Increasingly convinced that the woman was the victim of murder, she considers various perpetrators one after the other. She seeks help from her ex-husband, who willingly supports her. When she finally tries to draw her son into the story with increasingly wild theories, people begin to doubt her sanity.

The story quickly picks up speed as soon as we realize how smugly this psychiatrist reacts to any accusations made against her. Even a relevant hint from her former teacher is dismissed with a wave of her hand. As viewers, we are repeatedly led down the wrong track, which she readily accepts and just as quickly discards as soon as it proves to be false. The rekindled relationship with her ex-husband (lovingly portrayed by Daniel Auteuil) is a good indication of how little this woman knows about the people around her. There is a point, however, where the whole thing becomes very grotesque and as a viewer you can hardly believe what you are seeing and hearing. That's a shame, because it turns the story into a farce and the sad truth behind it all loses its significance. Therefore, only a 7.

N'importe quoi. The movie is all over the place et un peu rushed but I loved it quand même. Jodie Foster is amazing. You will be fascinated seeing her nail conveying all sorts of emotions in both languages. Et il faut donner à César ce qui est à César : all actors and actresses have done great job. I watched it early in the morning at a film festival's screening and did not regret it.

I knew nothing about the movie other than who was acting in it, so didn't know what to expect. What I got was two hours of comedy drama that owes a debt to Manhattan Murder Mystery, Woody Allen and Diane Keaton's determined effort to be detectives.

What initially seems to be a film designed to give a serious French film about psychiatry soon turns left into a witty and often surprising look at those that are open to various methods to sort themselves out.

Jodie Foster is, as usual, excellent while speaking what my French speaking wife told me was native level speaking of the language.

All in all well worth watching as long as you know what you're going to see.