Dave Chappelle is returning to Austin for a 10-show residency at Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater. The legendary comedian returns to Austin December 8-20, less than one month after surprising the Capital City with three performances, also as Stubb's.
Joining Chappelle for five of the dates is Austin's newest celebrity resident, Joe Rogan. The comedian, podcaster, and former Fear Factor host (remember that show?) will join Chappelle during the December 8, 9, 11, 15, and 16 performances. The rest of the dates promise "friends," but no other names have been confirmed, according to the website.
Tickets to all performances, presented by C3, go on sale Friday, December 4, at noon. Like all Chappelle shows, expect tickets to sell out fast. (When he surprised Austin with a performance at the Paramount in October 2019, tickets sold out in six minutes.)
To maintain social distancing, Stubb's is implementing a table policy, so the $250 tickets must be sold in increments in four, six, or eight. Attendees will be required to take a rapid test before entry. If COVID-19 is detected by the rapid test, that individual and all members of the same household will not be allowed to enter and will be given a refund, according to C3's website.
All members of the table must be present to enter the show, and like all Chappelle performances, absolutely no cellphones are allowed. If you're caught with one during the performance, you will be immediately ejected from the venue.
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.
