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An American psychiatrist in Paris
MARIA DUARTE goes down a bilingual rabbit hole with an impressive Jodie Foster
DISHEVELLED: Jodie Foster in A Private Life [Pic: IMDb]
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A Private Life (15)
Directed by Rebecca Złotowski
⭑⭑⭑⭑☆
JODIE FOSTER shows what a tour de force she still is in this, her first lead role in a French film, in which she speaks entirely in impeccable French, playing a renowned psychiatrist in this captivating murder mystery thriller.
The poised and in control Dr Lilian Steiner (Foster) becomes deeply troubled when she learns one of her patients has committed suicide. Convinced Paula (Virginie Efira) was murdered she enlists the help of her ex-husband Gabriel (Danile Auteuil) to investigate her death. Meanwhile Paula’s husband Simon (Mathieu Amalric on disturbing form) blames Steiner, who had been treating his wife for nine years, for her demise.
Steiner, who is an American living and working in Paris, becomes obsessed with solving Paula’s death and, as her obsession grows, she starts to unravel and lose control. That is reflected in her demeanour which at the beginning is sleek and polished but by the end is completely dishevelled. It is exacerbated by her visit to a hypnotist to stop her eye weeping, where she learns that she and Paula were lovers in a past life, in a surreal dreamlike sequence which poses more questions than it answers.
Co-written and directed by Rebecca Zlotowski, this is a fascinating dark comedy drama which is very Hitchcockian in style and tone. There is a lot to unpack here as the film explores psychoanalysis versus hypnosis, and also a woman, once rock steady, who is shaken by her failure to help her patient which in turn makes her doubt her ability as a psychiatrist.
She isn’t very maternal either which is reflected in her strained relationship with her son and her aversion to seeing her baby grandson. Interestingly her son only talks to her in French which suggests he isn’t bilingual in English, which seems unusual.
Anchored by an impressive and flawless performance by Foster, who you soon forget is American, and her palpable on-screen chemistry and delicious repartee with Auteuil (who provides the light relief), you are taken down this enthralling rabbit hole. It ends on a transformative note as the truth is revealed.
It is a must see for Foster alone.
In cinemas June 26
