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Jodie Foster Previews Darkly Comic 'A Private Life' Ahead of Friday Release

Foster voices doubts about her comedic chops in a dark-comic portrait of a therapist pushed past professional lines.

Overview

  • Rebecca Zlotowski’s film opens January 16 and stars Foster alongside Daniel Auteuil, Virginie Efira, and Mathieu Amalric.
  • Foster says she told Zlotowski she wasn’t sure how funny she is, noting much of the humor lands at her character’s expense.
  • Lilian, an American psychiatrist in Paris, records sessions, follows Freudian analysis, and crosses ethical boundaries as suspicions mount.
  • The plot centers on a patient’s reported suicide that prompts Lilian’s amateur investigation, with help from her ophthalmologist ex-husband.
  • An early A.V. Club review praises Foster’s poised performance and describes the mystery as a catalyst for a character-driven story that blends tones.