Directed by: Rebecca Zlotowski
Written by: Anne Berest, Rebecca Zlotowski, and Gaelle Mace
Starring: Jodie Foster, Daniel Auteuil, Mathieu Amalric, Virginie Efira, Luana Bajrami, and Vincent Lacoste
Runtime: 103 minutes
Zlotowski’s offbeat but intriguing Parisian mystery and Foster’s gratifying performance make ‘A Private Life’ worth a public look
“Psycho killer. Qu’est-ce que c’est? Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, fa.” – “Psycho Killer” (1977) by Talking Heads.
Paula Cohen-Solal (Virginie Efira) died. This Parisian wife and mother commits suicide, and it came without warning. It’s a mystery.
For Dr. Lilian Steiner (Jodie Foster), Paula’s psychiatrist for 9 years, her death doesn’t add up, and in “A Private Life”, this American living in Paris attempts to determine why Paula took her own life or if someone stole it from her.
Director/co-writer Rebecca Zlotowski’s (“Other People’s Children” (2022)) offbeat but intriguing whodunnit places this accomplished shrink in the role of an amateur Detective Hercule Poirot, as Lilian chases clues and leads across Paris, hoping to solve the reason for Paula’s passing.
Zlotowski and co-writers Anne Berest and Gaelle Mace split time over the film’s 103 minutes between Lilian’s investigation of Paula’s backstory, along with some suspicious happenings, and the good doctor’s imperfect personal life.
Lilian did not recognize any previous signs of Paula’s self-harm, which causes her to suspect a couple of potential culprits. Since her patient had a small nuclear family – Paula’s husband, Simon (Mathieu Amalric), and their only child, Valerie (Luana Bajrami) – the movie doesn’t cast a wide net of typical Agatha Christie suspects. Still, Zlotowski and a shaken Lilian credibly ponder and explore Simon’s and Valerie’s motivations.
Simon’s caustic meltdown in the first act is particularly effective at simultaneously raising misgivings and feeling empathy for him. Valerie’s long stares and semi-invasions of Lilian’s space escalate similar vibes.
Since Lilian focuses on a limited number of suspects, “A Private Life” opens the book on her failed marriage to Gabriel (Daniel Auteuil), an easy-going optometrist. They don’t socialize often, but they both respect and share tenderness for each other. Lilian feels out of sorts with Paula’s suicide, and Gabriel (affectionately called Gaby) is a loyal friend to his ex.
Lilian and Gabriel are also grandparents to a baby boy, but she suffers from a strained relationship with their grown son, Julien (Vincent Lacoste). While Gabriel exhibits genuine care for Lilian, Julien harbors resentment for some unknown, off-screen “crimes” committed while he was growing up, and Lilian reflects his comparable displeasure. She calls out, in psychology speak, that it’s always the mother’s fault.
Foster embraces this nuanced character, a financially successful career woman – as evidenced by her beautiful Parisian flat (in the third Arrondissement, perhaps) and long-standing dedication to her profession – who doesn’t quite have it all. Lilian is resolute and methodical in her work, always recording every session and cataloging the tapes into a sizable collection in her office.
Lilian’s organized, pragmatic persona has served her well as a therapist over the decades, but she also struggles with obvious detachment toward family. Zlotowski and Foster offer a wide-open view into her flawed private life, and Lilian will have to question her well-established routines to solve the troubling puzzle that her patient left behind.
This includes a couple of unusual explorations of Dr. Steiner’s unconscious feelings and Lilian and Gabriel’s far-fetched third-act inquiry with one of the prime suspects.
Still, Foster and Auteuil have wonderful, playful chemistry in every second together on-screen, and Foster’s successful steps into Poirot’s practices, Lilian’s self-analysis, and speaking fluent French for almost the entire film make “A Private Life” worth a public look.
Jeff’s ranking
2.5/4 stars
