Jodie Foster, speaking fluent French, stars in the new Netflix film "A Private Life," a departure from typical mystery fare that blends elements of psychodrama and dark comedy. Directed by Rebecca Zlotowski, the film casts Foster as psychiatrist Lilian Styner, who becomes entangled in the suspicious death of a patient.
The narrative opens with the Talking Heads song "Psycho Killer," setting an unconventional tone. Lilian is introduced as a no-nonsense professional who doesn't suffer fools. However, as the film progresses, she begins to unravel, a transformation that the review suggests is at least somewhat fascinating to watch. The plot kicks into gear when Lilian, after missing three sessions, is informed by the patient Paula's daughter, Valerie, that Paula has died suddenly. Lilian attends a wake at the family home, where Paula's husband, Simon, confronts her, blaming her for the tragedy and stating Paula took her own life.
Adding to Lilian's stressful day, one of her patients, Pierre, threatens to sue after years of still smoking despite therapy. He had sought hypnotherapy to quit, which proved successful in one session. Shortly after, Lilian begins to experience uncontrollable crying, a reaction that surprises her, especially since her ex-husband, ophthalmologist Gabriel, notes he has never seen her cry before. Her strained relationship with their son, Julien, is also highlighted, possibly linked to her apparent detachment from her infant grandson.
The mystery deepens when Valerie visits Lilian's office and provides a prescription Lilian had written for Paula's insomnia. Paula seemingly died from an overdose, but a scribbled note on the prescription suggests the dosage may have been altered. Driven by curiosity, Lilian visits Pierre's hypnotherapist, leading to a hypnotic regression. During this regression, Lilian envisions a past life where she and Paula were lovers and musicians during World War II, with Simon conducting and Julien as a Nazi. This experience seems to correlate with Lilian's increasingly erratic behavior.
Unraveling the Mystery
Lilian enlists the help of her ex-husband, Gabriel, who remains sympathetic to her impulsive and somewhat unhinged investigations. Their shared emotional connection appears to fuel their joint, albeit light, law-breaking excursions as they attempt to piece together the truth. The film is described as a gently uncozy mystery, featuring an untimely death and more comedy than one might expect. It deviates from the typical amateur sleuth formula by portraying Lilian as a reluctant and not particularly warm investigator whose rigid demeanor gradually erodes under manipulative psychological suggestions.
While the film explores Lilian's transformation and her descent into pseudoscientific ideas, the review notes that the hard-science-versus-woo-woo arc isn't always the primary focus. The script doesn't consistently chart Lilian's development as a human being, leaving the film feeling like a character study awkwardly placed within an idiosyncratic murder mystery. Nevertheless, Foster's performance, ranging from flinty to mildly deranged, is credited with elevating the screenplay. The film ultimately showcases Foster's ability to deliver surprising comedic moments while depicting Lilian's accidental evolution into a more empathetic figure through her investigation. The review concludes that Foster "still has it," recommending the film for her performance alone.