Foreign films can give a high-level overview of how people in other countries live. When you cast a well-known American actor in the lead role as an American living in Paris, it can add interest for an audience that may not have seen a French film before. A Private Life has Jodie Foster in the lead role. If you are a fan of French films, or Jodie Foster, or have an interest in French films, this is one to go see.
Psychiatrist Lilian Steiner (Foster) learns that a patient has passed away. She goes to pay her respects only to learn that it was a suicide. This does not sit well with Steiner, as she didn’t see the signs. Hyper-focusing on new information and having conversations with other people in her life, she decides it was murder. There is also turmoil in her personal life: her son, Julien (Vincent Lacoste), is a new father, and Steiner is in contact with her ex-husband, Gabriel (Daniel Auteuil), who still loves her. All of this creates an entertaining tale that kept my attention.
Foster has been speaking French since she began lessons at the age of 9, and her comfort with the language showed in her smooth delivery. There are a few places where it was played up that it isn’t her first language, such as when a neighbor refers to her with a term she isn’t familiar with. The audience didn’t need to know the language to realize it wasn’t a nice term. Her precise delivery showcases an intelligent woman questioning the world as she knows it, while maintaining control over everything and everyone around her.
There are touches toward Judaism and antisemitism that could have gone deeper. As things stand, they point to the existence of both in the world without truly showing their impact on the characters. To me, this was a missed opportunity.
The film’s pacing was excellent, allowing time to read the subtitles and take in the actors and visual cues. This can be a bit of a balancing act. If the script must be delivered at a very fast pace, you risk not all subtitles being read or a key element of the performance being missed. On the other hand, if it is too slow, it can slow down the movie itself.
Check your local listings to find a showing near you. This is one I will go to see again to see what I can pick up on now that I know the full story.
Director: Rebecca Zlotowski
Cast: Jodie Foster, Daniel Auteuil, Virginie Efira
MPAA Rating: Rated R for sexual content, graphic nudity, language, and brief violence.
Selig Rating: 4 stars
Runtime: 1h 47m
Release Date: January 16, 2026
Genre(s): Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Trailer: A Private Life trailer
Movie Site: A Private Life website
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.