Jodie Foster breaks out her impeccable French for the offbeat mystery ‘A Private Life’

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Jodie Foster is a remarkably believable actress, keenly aware of how to establish trust with an audience. Because of this, she can elevate a somewhat uneven French mystery like “A Private Life” – a film where she impressively shows off her French language skills – making it feel like both a playful nod to her own fame and a perfect display of her acting abilities. The film benefits greatly from her involvement, and she, in turn, maintains her stellar reputation. This dynamic makes her a natural fit for French cinema, reminiscent of stars like Deneuve, Huppert, and Binoche – she brings a touch of sophistication to a flawed but intriguing story, while continuing to shine as an actress.

Director Rebecca Zlotowski, known for her sensitive film “Other People’s Children,” makes an excellent choice in casting Jodie Foster as Lilian Steiner, an American psychiatrist living in Paris. We quickly get the sense that Lilian, introduced in her stylish home office on a rainy night – annoyed by noisy neighbors and leaving a message for a patient – is about to face a challenging situation. And with Foster in the leading role, the film feels immediately promising and well-acted.

The story takes a turn when Lilian discovers her client, Paula—a striking but troubled woman (played in flashbacks by Virginie Efira)—has unexpectedly died. Despite being asked to leave the family’s mourning period by Paula’s husband, Simon (Mathieu Amalric), Lilian can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right, especially after receiving puzzling messages from Paula’s daughter (Luana Bajrami). She believes Paula’s death wasn’t a suicide as officially stated and enlists the help of her friendly ex-husband, Gaby (Daniel Auteuil), who is an eye doctor and remains a good friend, to investigate.

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Whether Lilian is genuinely discovering something meaningful or simply trying to cope with a tragedy and her own guilt is left open to interpretation, and this question lingers throughout the film, emphasized by its dramatic and over-the-top musical score. Director Zlotowski, collaborating once more with Anne Berest and cinematographer George Lechaptois, doesn’t shy away from bold choices. When Lilian decides to investigate with a questionable hypnotist, it leads to a vivid, dreamlike sequence inspired by Freud, which surprisingly convinces the logical, reserved doctor to consider the idea of past lives. This change is particularly surprising to her adult son (played with dry wit by Vincent Lacoste), who is used to his mother keeping everyone at a distance.

Though “A Private Life” feels somewhat disjointed as the story unfolds – following Lilian through a break-in, threats, and poor decisions – it remains surprisingly engaging. This is due to Zlotowski’s skillful handling of the film’s many themes. The central mystery feels forced as a way to teach Lilian about the unknowable nature of others, but the rekindled romance between Lilian and Gaby is a beautifully realistic portrayal of midlife love. Auteuil and Foster bring a wonderful depth and subtle humor to their scenes, suggesting a long-married couple who always suspected they might find their way back to each other.

The film features well-known actors like Irène Jacob, Aurore Clément, and Park Ji-Min, along with documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, but their appearances are brief and somewhat feel like cameos. While it seems the cast enjoyed making the movie, and Jodie Foster delivers a strong performance in her first French-language role in nearly two decades, the film ultimately feels a little unfocused despite her central performance.

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2026-01-16 08:31