Considering the subject matter, A Private Life shouldn't be as funny as it is. But in Jodie Foster's hands, it's a darkly comedic triumph.

Foster, who speaks fluent French and has acted in a number of French films like A Very Long Engagement and Moi, fleur bleue , is nothing short of formidable in A Private Life ( Vie privée) . Directed and co-written by Rebecca Zlotowski ( Other People's Children ), this witty thriller sees Foster as an American psychiatrist in Paris turned amateur sleuth as she investigates the sudden death of a patient. It's not a set-up that screams comedy, but the film truly pulls it off, with the Hollywood icon delivering dry humor and straight-laced drama with characteristic finesse alongside lauded French actors Mathieu Amalric and Daniel Auteuil.

Wit

See Full Page