"The most prominent hook to A Private Life, Jodie Foster in a rare French-language role, is probably the least interesting thing about this thoroughly enjoyable thriller for grown-ups that at its best harks back to the stylish, spiky entertainments of Claude Chabrol. Foster plays Dr. Lilian Steiner, an American in Paris working as a psychotherapist. In the film's first few scenes, one of her long-term clients threatens to sue her after one hypnosis session cured the smoking habit that years of talk therapy couldn't,"
"Attending Paula's memorial, Lilian gets weird vibes from both the woman's husband Simion (Mathieu Amalric), who blames the therapist for her death, and her daughter Valérie (Luàna Bajrami). She begins to suspect foul play, but it's clear that this may stem from her inability to realize that she failed to recognize Paula's mental health crisis. That doesn't matter, though, to her charming ex-husband (Daniel Auteuil), who she enlists as a sidekick in her increasingly desperate amateur sleuthing."
A Private Life follows Dr. Lilian Steiner, an American psychotherapist in Paris who investigates a patient's apparent suicide while replaying archived MiniDisc sessions and confronting professional lapses. The investigation casts suspicion on the deceased woman's husband and daughter and draws in Lilian's charming ex-husband as an amateur sidekick. Hypnosis and dreamlike sequences introduce visions or past lives set in World War II France, including an opera-house hiding as lovers. Rebecca Zlotowski directs with a quirky, adult-oriented thriller tone that recalls Claude Chabrol's stylish entertainments, blending suspense, comedy, and strong ensemble performances.
Read at Oregon ArtsWatch * Arts & Culture News
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