Jodie Foster Embraces ‘Vie Privée' Director as French Murder Mystery Gets 8-Minute Cannes Standing Ovation
The crowd for the film was certainly star-studded, a sign of the esteem in which Foster is held. Gael García Bernal and Alejandro González Iñárritu posed for pictures before the screening, while Scarlett Johansson strode the red carpet with her husband, Colin Jost. Johansson was accompanied by June Squibb, the 95-year-old star of her feature directorial debut, 'Eleanor the Great.' Adrien Brody, who just won an Oscar for 'The Brutalist,' was also in attendance. James Franco, whose career was derailed by sexual harassment allegations, was seen entering the Palais, with an announcer hailing him as the star of 'Spring Breakers.'
More from Variety
'Private Life' Review: Fluent in French, Jodie Foster Steers an Upscale, Paris-Set Psychological Thriller
Guillermo Galoe Unpacks His Insider's Vision of a Family Riven by Its Shanty Town's Demolition in Critics' Week's 'Sleepless City'
New York Erotic Tale 'Drunken Noodles' Sells to Taiwan, France and Germany for M-Appeal (EXCLUSIVE)
'Vie Privée' features Foster in a French-speaking role and marks her first film shot in France since 2004's 'A Very Long Engagement.'
'I've been wanting to go back and do a French movie, because I haven't done one in a long time,' Foster told Variety shortly before the premiere. 'For me, it's always about trying to find the right piece of material. I didn't want to do some overblown American and French co-production. As an actor, I need a story. And a lot of French movies, which I love, are behavior films where you just sort of follow people around for three days or something. That's not what I do. I'm interested in narrative. I'm all about developing a character who propels the story. This ticked all the boxes.'
Foster has been a frequent presence in Cannes throughout her decades-long career, recently hitting the Croisette in 2021 to receive an Honorary Palme d'or. Several of her films have also premiered at the festival, including 'Taxi Driver,' which won the Palme d'or in 1976, as well as 2016's 'Money Monster,' a thriller with George Clooney and Julia Roberts, and 2011's Mel Gibson drama 'The Beaver,' both of which she directed. Foster speaks French fluently, having attended the Lycée Français de Los Angeles while growing up.
'Vie Privée' combines a number of genres — it's part thriller, part character study and part relationship comedy. Zlotowski, whose credits include 'Grand Central' and 'Planetarium,' also wrote the film's screenplay. Foster's co-stars include Daniel Auteuil, who plays her ex-husband, and Virginie Edina, who portrays a mysterious patient whose death triggers her unorthodox investigation. Sony Pictures Classics will distribute 'Vie Privée' in North America.
After stepping back from acting for many years, Foster has recently been busy in front of the camera. She was nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actress for 2023's 'Nyad' and won an Emmy for her role as troubled investigator in 2024's 'True Detective: Night Country.'
'I'm picky,' Foster said. 'I'm not really interested in acting just for the sake of acting. It has to really speak to me.'
Best of Variety
New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Cosmopolitan
5 minutes ago
- Cosmopolitan
30 Iconic Bob Hairstyles Defining 2025
It's minimizing to call what's happening with bobs this year a trend. I'd sooner deem it a complete cultural takeover. I'm faced with cunty fresh cuts on my commute, in prestige television shows, at my grocery store, and swaying sophisticatedly in workout classes. It feels like every day on my Instagram feed, there's a new bob reveal, treated with the reverence and celebration of a pregnancy or engagement announcement. And I participate in the comment section revelry wholeheartedly. Because in every form they take, bobs devour, and I've become 100 percent convinced this cut is the chicest and most practical possible way to wear your hair. 'It's clean and intentional, and it can completely transform the way someone carries themselves,' says Kazu Katahira, a celebrity hairstylist with Forward Artists in New York, NY. 'And what I love most is how customizable it is. No two bobs are the same when you are doing it right. You can play with the length, the angle, the texture, and it becomes this little signature for the person wearing it.' I witnessed this wide variety of bob possibilities during Cosmo's photo shoot, dedicated to documenting the hairstyle's takeover. We invited 30 women with New York City's greatest bobs to come in, show them off, and share what makes the bob lifestyle a preferred one. From the French bobs to the graduated ones, these 30 New Yorkers have all braved the big chop and are better off for it. They're also proof that there's no one fixed way to rock this haircut. So ahead, find some inspiration and the reference pictures you'll be showing your hairstylist—along with guidance from the greats on how to live your best bobbed life. Occupation: Artist/DJ Social handle: @ Hair type: Just found out I'm 2B. The most unexpected thing about having a bob? How many people remember me from DJ sets as 'the one with the bob.' Best bob styling tip: Let it live. Occupation: Attorney + Mom!!! [Editor's note: Mom to Cosmo's creative director, Samantha Adler] Hair type: Wavy/curly The ultimate famous bob inspiration: Meg Ryan Best bob styling tip: Pray for low humidity and the mercy of the hair gods. Occupation: Dancer/actor Social handle: @AvaNoble Describe your bob without using the word bob: Chic as fu*k The most unexpected thing about having a bob: I cut my hair to a bob the day after a breakup….Happy to report that single men love a bob. The pickup lines always stem from the bob. Life hack for a single girl in NYC. Best bob styling tip: Bob blindness is real—you will keep going shorter until your friends tell you to stop. Don't let the trim get out of control! Shout-out Li at Cutler Soho. Occupation: Model/artist Social handle: @madisonjohnston Hair type: Curly (but she has a mind of her own...) Ultimate famous bob inspo: Nadia Lee Cohen (I want to be her) The most unexpected thing about having a bob: You can look like a million different things at once. Young, old, cute, hot, or sometimes a little like Lord Farquaad. Occupation: Artist and founder of Beepy Bella Social handle: @isabellelalonde Hair type: Curly Describe your bob without using the word bob: Pungent Ultimate famous bob inspo: Me at 5 years old, Edna from The Incredibles, and Kiki's Delivery Service. Occupation: VIP Relations at Gucci Social handle: @madelisey Hair type: Cantonese Describe your bob without using the word bob: F*ckass The most unexpected thing about having a bob: Feeling the breeze on your neck. Occupation: Broadway Actor/Singer Social handle: @jadeamberlitaker Hair type: 4 A/B Ultimate famous bob inspo: I think Rihanna was the first with a bob who made me really want one. Best bob styling tip: Having locs and a bob?! Honestly, water. Just spraying some water makes all the difference. Occupation: Photographer Social handle: @ambejphotography Hair type: Kinky curly 4 A/B Ultimate famous bob inspo: Velma Kelly Best bob styling tip: For the curly girls—the Doux mousse, water, and a dream! Occupation: Actor Social handle: @huisterry Hair type: 1.5 B Describe your bob without using the word bob: Wolf cut… Ultimate famous bob inspo: Traditional bob → Rose Byrne in US Weekly 'Celebs w/ bob hairstyles'...My cut bob→ Hyunjin from Stray Kids Occupation: Comedian Social handle: @chloe_troast Hair type: Brown :( Ultimate famous bob inspo: Will Byers Season 1 of Stranger Things The most unexpected thing about having a bob: Getting a cold neck. Also I have a long neck, so sometimes my silhouette looks like a penis/mushroom. Occupation: Model, writer, superstar extraordinaire Social handle: @ellasnyder Hair type: Fine and wavy Ultimate famous bob inspo: Anna Wintour, duh, but also Gracie Abrams <3 Best bob styling tip: See Jaz Shepard in NYC for the best cut of your life. Occupation: Actor/educator Social handle: @jessiehookerbailey Hair type: Curly Ultimate famous bob inspo: The curly Whitney Houston bob Best bob styling tip: Moisturize!! Occupation: Actor Social handle(s): @JuliaKnitel Hair type: Pretty wavy Ultimate famous bob inspo: Diane Keaton…obvi Best bob maintenance/styling tip: Just…don't do anything. A great haircut will do so much of the work when it's short!! Occupation: Model/Actor/DJ Social handle: @KelseyHealey Hair type: Thick, semi-wave The most unexpected thing about having a bob: How much more confident I feel! Best bob styling tip: I never used much product…until I had a bob…or else it just feels like a helmet. Occupation: Fashion critic, The Washington Post Social handle: @theprophetpizza Hair type: Insanely thick and bleached Describe your bob without using the word bob: Crisp Ultimate famous bob inspo: Bernice from F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'Bernice Bobs Her Hair' Occupation: Model/beauty influencer Social handle: @daniellemareka Hair type: 4C Describe your bob without using the word bob: Eclectic Best bob maintenance/styling tip: Mini flatiron!! Best life hack. Occupation: Director, Fashion & Lifestyle in retail Social handle: @chloe4dayz Hair type: Linguine straight Ultimate famous bob inspo: The Supremes The most unexpected thing about having a bob: The bob community Best bob styling tip: Get as blunt a cut as you can bear! And Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray Occupation: Retired from the federal government, now on IG, volunteer for NY Senior Medicare Patrol Social handle: @idiosyncraticfashionistas Hair type: 1B/1C Describe your bob without using the word bob: Signature look—low-maintenance between haircuts. The most unexpected thing about having a bob: I can never start a life of crime—the police would find me so fast! Occupation: Media personality/creator Social handle: @stehfuhnee_ Hair type: 4C, heat-treated Describe your bob without using the word bob: The essence of my mother. Best bob styling tip: Bobs look best when they're a little old. Dry shampoo is your best friend. Occupation: Textile artist, content creator Social handles: @ellaemhoff, Substack: softcraftsclub Hair type: 3B. Used to be 3A, but your hair texture changes every seven years. Ultimate famous bob inspo: Ilana Glazer. Great bob. Best bob styling tip: Mousse will make it super voluminous. Oil is great in the summer for a nice, messy look. Occupation: Writer Social handle: @mackenzie Hair type: Thin as fuck. Light as air. I blame my dad. Describe your bob without using the word bob: Evocative Best bob styling tip: Your hair is gonna look like shit for a whole calendar year, but that's actually really important for your bob education. Occupation: Fashion stylist and content creator Social handle: @sierrarenas Hair type: 3B/3C Ultimate famous bob inspo: Edna Mode Best bob styling tip: Don't be afraid to use heat. Occupation: Musician/model Social handle: @ Hair type: Unnatural, my hair has been through it all. Ultimate famous bob inspo: Hari Nef Best bob styling tip: A Dyson, unfortunately ($$$) Occupation: Model Social handle: @josephine__dupont Hair type: Curly, but I won't blow it out. Describe your bob without using the word bob: Cunty. Ultimate famous bob inspo: Linda/Shalome/Whitney Best bob styling tip: Keep the scissors in your purse. Occupation: Content creator Social handle: @tinyjewishgirl Hair type: 3A if I'm lazy; 3B if I'm taking care of myself Describe your bob without using the word bob: What season 5 Carrie Bradshaw should've given. Ultimate famous bob inspo: Not season 5 Carrie Bradshaw. TBH, my 19-year-old self and, lowkey, Owen Wilson as Hansel but without the bangs. Occupation: Beauty editor and expert Social handle: @mayaalenaa Hair type: Naturally 4C Describe your bob without using the word bob: A power cut. It's like a power suit for my hair. It makes me feel fierce and effortlessly chic without ever having to try too hard. Best bob styling tip: Dry shampoo. Imperfect is perfect. Embrace the texture—it just works! Occupation: Stylist Social handle: @chanelncrocs Hair type: Curly Describe your bob without using the word bob: Cunt. The most unexpected thing about having a bob: The less hair I have, the more powerful I feel. Occupation: Artist Social handle: @sashaarijanto Hair type: Jew-Asian Describe your bob without using the word bob: Comic book character. The most unexpected thing about having a bob: Number one 'They always come back' catalyst. Also, it's the best haircut if you hate washing your hair. Occupation: Photo Director, Vogue Social handle: @pkv15 Hair type: Short, blonde, cut straight (but I'm not) Ultimate famous bob inspo: Probably Leo [DiCaprio]? Or River [Phoenix]. Best bob styling tip: Starlina, my hairstylist Occupation: Actor and filmmaker Social handle: @vournalist Describe your bob without using the word bob: French Ultimate famous bob inspo: Amélie from Amélie Hair and makeup: William Scott at The Wall Group. Creative director: Samantha Adler. Senior entertainment director: Maxwell Losgar. Visual director: Scott M. Lacey. Associate visual editor: Sabrina Toto. Motion graphics designer: Ying Chen. Annabel Iwegbue is an associate editor at Cosmopolitan where she primarily covers entertainment and lifestyle. Before joining Cosmo, she covered entertainment at Harper's Bazaar, The Knockturnal, and Black Film. She's originally from Charleston, South Carolina, and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a B.A. in Journalism and Cinema Studies from New York University. You can check out some of Annabel's work here and also find her on Instagram and Twitter.
Cosmopolitan
35 minutes ago
- Cosmopolitan
Why Did JaNa and Kenny from Love Island Break Up?
Love Island USA stars JaNa Craig and Kenny Rodriguez have split up after one year together. The breakup was confirmed by TMZ after fans noticed some telling social media activity. For starters, the pair removed each other's names from their Instagram bios. On top of that, they unfollowed each other, *and* JaNa's best friends Serena Page and Lea Kateb also unfollowed Kenny. happened? Details are still TBD and neither JaNa nor Kenny have spoken out just yet, but sources tell TMZ that they broke up yesterday morning (Sunday, July 27). As for who decided to end things, the outlet reports that it was Craig "ultimately making the choice" to split. They also note that "JaNa's been leaning on her close girlfriends all day to help her get through her heartbreak." As a reminder, JaNa and Kenny came in third during Love Island USA Season 6. Kenny spoke about their long-distance relationship to Variety earlier this month, saying that they lived separately during Beyond the Villa. "Since leaving the villa, it's a big jump moving in together with someone, and I didn't want it to be televised, especially the first time," he explained. "So we rented rooms next to each other. Another aspect for me is privacy. When JaNa gets ready for events, she has a huge glam team. Usually, there's somebody in there for wardrobe, and sometimes I don't have the space to change and things like that. Granted, we were always together on the show. It was great to experience L.A. and to be with her in the same city."
National Geographic
an hour ago
- National Geographic
Who was Nostradamus—and why do his predictions still rile us up?
Michel de Nostredame, famously known as Nostradamus, is depicted on a 1810 wood print by Charles Canivet. The French physician and astrologer is famous for his prophecies, but many are vague and open to interpretation. Photograph by INTERFOTO / Alamy Stock Photo What's in the future…and how does the world end? They're tempting questions—and one that, centuries ago, doctor and self-styled prophet Nostradamus always claimed to answer. His famed predictions range from confusing to creepy, and his acolytes believe his 16th-century predictions still ring true today. His supposed 2025 prophecies include long wars, plague, and a fireball that may destroy Earth. In fact, Nostradamus is so well known for his predictions that a 1672 reference to him is among the first documented uses of the word 'prognostication' in the English language. But the man some think of as a prophet was no divine being. He was a real-life French physician, apothecary, and author whose bold predictions earned him a name in the tumult of Renaissance Europe. Here's what to know about Michel de Nostradame, better known as Nostradamus. Who was Nostradamus? Michel de Nostradame was born in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France, in December 1503. (Historians disagree on the exact date.) His parents were the son of a notary and the daughter of a prominent local physician. Nostradame would marry twice during his lifetime, ultimately fathering eight children. Renaissance France, like the rest of Europe, was seized with religious strife during his lifetime, with important ramifications for young Nostradame. His family was Jewish but had converted to Catholicism after Provence became part of the kingdom of France in 1486. Though Jews had a long history in the region, they were told by local authorities in the late 1400s to either convert or be expelled, so Michel was raised Catholic. Young Nostradame studied Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and medicine and began attending the University of Avignon while still a teen. He received his bachelor's degree in medicine in the 1520s, though his school closed because of the bubonic plague while he was a student. Plague doctor and inquisition After finishing his formal education, Nostradame spent time traveling France studying herbalism and treating victims of the plague, one of the era's most feared diseases. Historians believe he was expelled from the University of Montpellier, where he next studied, due to having practiced in the 'manual' trade of an apothecary; they disagree on whether he returned to receive his full doctorate. Practicing medicine in Renaissance France meant treating diseases like plague. But the era's medicine also involved practices now deemed unscientific, like alchemy, astrology, and prophecy. Those practices couldn't save Nostradamus' wife, whose name has been lost to history, nor his two children. They died in the 1530s, likely of plague. (Why plague—one of history's deadliest diseases—still afflicts U.S. wildlife.) The devastated doctor now faced other problems, too. In 1538, he was overheard roundly criticizing the craftsmanship of a religious statue—words that got him accused of heresy and dragged before inquisitors in 1538. A heresy accusation would have destroyed his reputation locally, and a conviction would mean he was executed. But the court acquitted him, and he took up his travels again, specializing in plague medicine. Some of Nostradame's remedies seem to have worked, for he found steady work. The success of some of his remedies likely relied on hygienic practices like recommending clean drinking water. Others, like his rose pills, used herbs and flowers. His practice also would have involved alchemy, astrology, and other esoteric practices now seen as unscientific. But his patients were satisfied enough with the results to spread the word about his skill. Scientific or not, the doctor's plague treatments took him throughout France in the decade that followed—and both his work and his writing began to gain fans in high places. Nostradamus' poetic predictions The doctor and French astrologer, whose name was widely Latinized as Nostradamus, began writing annual almanacs in the 1550s that drew on his supposed 'knack' for making accurate predictions on the events and weather conditions of the year to come. These cheap, popular publications became known for their poetic prognostications and introduced Nostradamus to a wider audience. Nostradamus's fame earned him some extremely high-profile clients eager for a personal and political forecast. In 1555, he predicted that a 'young lion'—thought to be code for the coat of arms of King Henry II of France—would fall in combat, and the next year Henry's wife, Queen of France Catherine de Medici and her son Charles IX visited the prognosticator. When Henry II did indeed die on July 10, 1559 of an injury sustained during a jousting tournament, it sparked what historian Denis Crouzet called 'a sense of imminent catastrophe.' The doctor's vague, flowery language protected both himself and the person at the center of the prophecy from mistakes, humiliation, and accusations of charlatanism, adding to his reputation and mystery over time. As Oxford University historian Michelle Pfeffer writes for The Conversation, astrology and prognostication were commonly practiced at the time and were especially popular among the elite. By then, Europe was already in the grip of religious and social strife as the Reformation unleashed tensions between Catholics and Protestants, social inequality stirred unrest, and prophecies and rumors gripped the public. Many of these divisions would boil over into conflict, including civil war, during Nostradamus' lifetime. (How Martin Luther became the father of the Protestant Reformation.) Criticized by Catholics and Protestants alike, Nostradamus stood by his prophecies, publishing a large book of them and continuing to release his popular almanacs even after being briefly imprisoned for publishing his work without the Church's permission. He died on July 1, 1566, likely of gout. Historians and the public have argued about the thousands of predictions he made during his lifetime—and seemingly validated them—ever since. What did Nostradamus predict—and what actually happened Though Nostradamus' seeming prediction of the death of Henry II gained him fame during his lifetime, his name has persisted thanks to other prophecies some believe have been fulfilled. Perhaps the most astonishing of his predictions was his specific forecast around 1558 that 'The Senate (Parliament) of London will put their King to death.' In 1649 , exactly that happened: Charles I was beheaded for treason after a conflict with Parliament that ended up sparking civil war in England. 'As even skeptics must acknowledge, this is a most remarkable statement,' wrote biographer Ian Wilson in. In the same prophecy, Nostradamus predicted that London would 'be burned by fireballs in thrice twenty and six.' In 1666, a fire did occur in London, destroying huge swaths of the city. People of the era hadn't forgotten Nostradamus's prophecies—and they didn't stop looking for events that potentially fulfilled them in the years that followed. Fans of the far-seeing doctor have attributed everything from the French Revolution ('a married couple' who will result in 'tempest—fire—blood'), the rise of Napoleon (an Emperor 'who will cost the Empire dear'), and the rise of Hitler ('the great enemy of all the human race') to Nostradamus. (Was Napoleon Bonaparte an enlightened leader or tyrant?) But just as many of his vague prognostications have not come true, and there is a long history of political and cultural figures reinterpreting and even misinterpreting Nostradamus to further their own goals. Among those eager to use Nostradamus' prophecies were the leaders of the Third Reich. Propagandist Joseph Goebbels incorporated prophecies into his propaganda, using them to sow doubt and build support for the Nazi war effort. Nostradamus has also been invoked by extremist groups, serving as a way to transmit ideologies to others. Nostradamus is also credited with predicting the end of the world, however that prophecy is yet to come true. He prophesied that in July 1999, 'from the sky will come a great King of terror.' His prediction further fueled doomsday fears as concerns rose about how the supposed Y2K bug would affect computer systems. The French astronomer is still being interpreted, read, and studied by those with an interest in prophecy and prognostication. More than 500 years after his death, Nostradamus continues to entertain and confuse—and interest in his prophecies remains strong. 'Prophecy continues to shape hopes and fears for the future of individuals, groups, states, and the whole world,' writes historian Stephen Bowd in the Encyclopedia of Millennialism and Millennial Movements. After all, who doesn't want to know the future—or think it's possible to see?
