Wednesday night saw The National complete their sold-out three-night residency at ACL Live Moody Theater, a first for the venue and a unique chance for fans to see the band in a more intimate space.
The sons of Cincinnati have a long history with ACL Live booking agent Jack McFadden, dating back to McFadden’s early days landing shows in Brooklyn at a venue across the street from the band's rehearsal space. That relationship paid off when he got the call that they were interested in playing Moody Theater for not one night, but three. With a set list that varied each evening and featured favorites reaching back into the earlier catalogue, the band kept fans guessing.
Vacillating between thrashing renditions of classics "Abel" and "Mr. November" and newer crowd favorites like "Pink Rabbits" and "Graceless," singer Matt Berninger stalked the stage, often with drink in hand, while brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner (who celebrated their birthday during the show) layered their guitars on opposite sides, alternately dueling and coming together at the edge of the stage.
While the set list changed nightly, each show ended with Berninger dropping the mic and leading the crowd in a rousing sing-along of "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks." The band appeared to be as enamored with Austin as the crowd was with them — Berninger mused that they may just "stay here forever."
Jodie Foster has been a member of the Hollywood community for almost 60 years, first as a child actor on TV, and then branching out into movies. She earned an Oscar nomination at the tender age of 14 for her role in Taxi Driver, and she’s gone on to be nominated five times, winning twice. Now, at age 63, she’s showing she’s still capable of surprises by fluently speaking another language in the French film, A Private Life.
Foster plays Lilian Steiner, a psychiatrist who sees patients out of her Parisian apartment. When she learns of the death of one of her patients, Paula (Virginie Efira), she’s sad but otherwise unaffected until a few suspicious things start happening. This includes the robbery of her apartment, in which a recording of Paula’s last session with Lilian goes missing.
With the help of her ex-husband, Gabriel (Daniel Auteuil), Lilian becomes an amateur private detective, tracking the movements of Paula’s husband, Simon (Mathieu Amalric), whom she increasingly suspects of murder. At the same time, Lilian must navigate a tense relationship with her son, Julien (Vincent Lacoste), along with an unexpected rekindling of romance with Gabriel.
Written and directed by Rebecca Zlotowski, and co-written by Anne Berest, it is a psychological thriller that at times feels like an Inspector Clouseau movie. With little to go on but her own perhaps misguided suspicions, Lilian digs herself deeper into a situation of her own making. And she further clouds her mind by indulging in a tryst with Gabriel, who’s all too eager to help Lilian pursue her criminal theories. While the film is not a comedy, there are elements of humor that pop in to keep the story light.
Zlotowski plays with the competing tones of the story well, keeping viewers on Lilian’s side even as she indulges in things that might not be the healthiest for her. Lilian’s various eccentricities — an adherence to recording on old-fashioned mini discs instead of fully digital, keeping an emotional distance from her son and grandson — make her a fascinating character whose vacillating motivations keep viewers guessing as to what she’ll do next.
In a lot of ways, the film is a study of how Lilian needs to try to find ways to heal herself. The possibility of Paula being murdered wakes Lilian up to the idea that she has not been as attentive a doctor as she should be. The sessions with different patients that Zlotowski shows give the impression that there’s a general level of dissatisfaction with her, with one patient outright breaking up with her.
Foster is no less compelling speaking mostly in French than she is in English language movies. Her fluency is never in doubt, and she fits in seamlessly with the actual French actors in the film. Auteuil is a fun counterpart for Foster, showing an unexpected chemistry with her that keeps their scenes crackling with energy. Amalric, a Wes Anderson favorite, has a relatively small role but still stands out when he gets a chance.
A Private Life is not the type of thriller that American audiences might be used to, but its slow, methodical storytelling and subtle humor make it an interesting watch from beginning to end. The film is not up for any awards, but Foster’s performance shows she remains a top-tier actor.
