Film Review

‘A Private Life’: Jodie Foster Speaks Impeccable French

French film aficionados and Foster fans may find the film fascinating due to France-in-the-fall feelings and Foster’s fine French, but I found it far from fun.
‘A Private Life’: Jodie Foster Speaks Impeccable French
Lilian Steiner (Jodie Foster) and ex-husband Gabriel Haddad (Daniel Auteuil) still have feelings for each other, in "A Private Life." Ad Vitam
Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson
Film Critic
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R | 1h 43m | Thriller, Drama, Comedy | 2026

In director Rebecca Zlotowski’s “A Private Life,” Lilian Steiner (Jodie Foster) is an American ex-pat psychiatrist living in Paris. Foster shows off her (if you got it, flaunt it!) extremely fluent French again. The first time was in “A Very Long Engagement” (2004).
Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson
Film Critic
Mark Jackson is the senior film critic for The Epoch Times and a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. Mark earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Williams College, followed by classical theater conservatory training, and has 20 years' experience as a New York professional actor. He narrated The Epoch Times audiobook "How the Specter of Communism Is Ruling Our World," available on iTunes, Audible, and YouTube. Mark is featured in the book "How to Be a Film Critic in Five Easy Lessons" by Christopher K. Brooks. In addition to films, he enjoys Harley-Davidsons, rock-climbing, qigong, martial arts, and human rights activism.
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