Private Life

Both the leads have such an endearing quality to them, their relationship seems so natural that you forget they are acting, the movie feels so real and makes the viewer become a part of the couple's life. Great acting, great writing on a couple's journey to become parents while holding on to their relationship. Simply endearing.

I found myself laughing at several moments. Very smooth and the characters were likeable. A difficult subject which was kept in perspective. The irony in the movie may be lost on some people and it did drag on longer than needed, but better than a lot of your 'franchised' drivel out there.

The unmeasurable level of sacrifice that many women go through in an effort to have a rewarding career and loving family was inconceivable to me before I watched a Private Life. The strain such an effort can likely have on a woman's husband, or life partner, proved even harder for my mind to conceptualize. Even being without kids, myself, and crossing an age when life tends to fold on a single decision, I found it nearly impossible to wrap my head around the reality of the process and accept that it often drains everything short of a soul out of those trying to create life. Then came this film. Perfectly scripted, brilliantly performed, and intimately directed, this 2-hour Indie caused me to feel as I was eavesdropping on the private moments of a middle-aged couple going through its greatest crisis. Now it's the thing I can't get out of my head.

I have always had a soft corner for well written, ultra realistic dramas like this one, so I liked it anyway. But what makes this noteworthy is its intriguing brand of humour, which is so subtle, suppressed even. And very cinematic all the same, communicated via cuts and mis-en-scene. The soundtrack is one of the best I have heard in the past few years and the performances are very very good too.

The plot may make it seem like this lacks universal appeal but it spoke a lot to me about how we all inadvertently do so much for brief reprieves from the abyss, and how that is both futile and necessary. Netflix funding some real good stuff these days.

Once again, Kathryn Hahn delivers some stunning work. The entire film is very effective and very well scripted.