A Private Life
Jodie Foster sparkles in Rebecca Zlotowski’s effervescent blend of black comedy and noir.
The Woman Who Knew Too Much: Jodie Foster
Photo by Jérôme Prébois, courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
by CHAD KENNERK
Screen legend Jodie Foster began as a Disney darling in films like Napoleon and Samantha (opposite a real lion) and the adventure gem Candleshoe. For Scorsese, she subverted expectations in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore and Taxi Driver. The Accused won her the first of two Oscars — the second soon followed for her iconic portrayal of Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs (cover of the 1991 Film Review annual). Throughout a rich and varied career, she’s continued to dazzle as one of our most dependable and beloved actors. In recent years, Foster’s screen work has been purposefully selective, with projects like The Mauritanian and Nyad (her most recent Oscar nom) reflecting collaborations guided by strong storytelling and creative accord. That acuity is what makes her return to a commanding lead in the offbeat French film A Private Life such a treat.
Following A Very Long Engagement, Foster returns to French cinema, showcasing near-native fluency. Directed and co-written by Rebecca Zlotowski (Other People’s Children), A Private Life is part thriller, part mystery, part dark comedy — and a perfect match for Foster’s intelligence and emotional precision. Her performance earned her a nomination for Best Actress at the Lumière Awards, France’s equivalent to the Golden Globes, making her the first American accorded the honour. Talking Heads’ funky stream of consciousness classic ‘Psycho Killer’ sets the beat for what follows as psychiatrist Lilian Steiner (Foster) finds herself deeply rattled by the sudden death of a patient. Suspicious of the circumstances surrounding her patient’s passing, Lilian has the growing sense that something unresolved is trying to claw its way to the surface. With the help of her ex-husband Gabriel (Daniel Auteuil), she sets out to crack the case and find out what really happened to her patient Paula (Virginie Efira).
Playing cleverly along the knife edge between crime thriller, noir, and comedy, much of A Private Life’s pleasures come from not knowing where the narrative will lead next. Where some may find the twists and turns overwrought or underwhelming, those who truly listen to this murder mystery will find its emotional throughline more compelling than ‘whodunit’. Zlotowski’s direction finds some striking in-camera flourishes, including one particular shot during a hypnosis sequence that takes an Alice through the looking glass approach, recalling the feeling behind Get Out’s transition to the ‘sunken place’. The recurring use of red feels both symbolic and intentionally cinematic, from red doors to a red coat that evokes Don’t Look Now. When the story veers into a Nick-and-Nora-style pairing with Lilian’s ex, the chemistry between Foster and Auteuil pops the cork on a cascade of bubbly moments. Add in Foster’s peerless French and Zlotowski’s thoughtful, intellectually rich script, and the result is something sumptuous and unexpected. Foster is endlessly watchable and as captivating as ever.
Cast: Jodie Foster, Daniel Auteuil, Virginie Efira, Mathieu Amalric, Vincent Lacoste, Luana Bajrami, Sophie Guillemin.
Dir Rebecca Zlotowski, Pro Frederic Jouve, Screenplay Rebecca Zlotowski, Anne Berest, Gaëlle Macé, Ed Géraldine Mangenot, Music ROB, Sound Thomas Desjonquères.
Les Films Velvet/France 3 Cinéma-Sony Pictures Classics (US), Altitude Films (UK)
103 mins. France. 2025. US Rel: 16 January 2026, UK Rel: 26 June 2026. Cert. R (US), 15 (UK).
