Une Vie Privée

Jodie Foster is currently enjoying a renaissance, largely thanks to her gritty, acclaimed turn in True Detective: Night Country. Her latest film, the French-language thriller A Private Life (Une Vie Privée), has just hit theaters after a quiet debut at Cannes last year.

The verdict? It's good. But it's not Night Country good.

The Consensus

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently sits at a respectable 78% Fresh. Critics are nearly unanimous in their praise for Foster, who speaks fluent French in the film (a skill she has honed since her teenage years).

• The Good: "Foster is mesmerizing as a reclusive author pulled into a real-life mystery." - Variety
• The Bad: "The plot meanders where it needs to sprint." - The Guardian

A Different Beast

The film is a slow-burn character study rather than a pulse-pounding thriller. Fans expecting the jump scares and supernatural dread of her HBO series might be disappointed. This is Euro-noir: lots of cigarettes, rain, and existential dread.

Foster's Legacy

Regardless of the box office functionality, this role cements Foster's status as one of the most versatile actresses working today. At 63, she is taking risks that actors half her age fly from. Most Hollywood A-listers don't go to France to make mid-budget dramas. Foster does, and we are lucky for it.

Read our full review in the Reviews section.