Private Life (2018)


Director: Tamara Jenkins
Stars: Kathryn Hahn, Paul Giamatti, Kayli Carter
Runtime: 123 minutes

Synopsis: A couple go through every form of fertility therapy to get pregnant.

  • Performances: 8/10
Why? Led by two of this generation's most talented and underrated talents, "Private Life" confirms the two actors' status as they shine in yet another film that deals with very real themes such as parenthood and married life. They manage through their acting to make their characters extremely relatable and authentic, a must for the movie to work. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said about the supporting cast who, in my opinion, didn't deliver their lines as convincingly as the main two characters.
  • Screenplay: 7/10
Why? Despite suffering from a few irregularities in its dialogue and way of handling exposition, I found the script to be generally interesting. The themes tackled are well developed and the movie as a whole feels genuine and sincere. If you're interested in topics such as parenthood or marriage, definitely give this one a watch.
  • Costumes/Makeup: 6/10
Why? N.A.
  • Editing: 7/10
Why? With a runtime of 123 minutes, "Private Life" does feel a bit too long at times. However, every single scene in it has its place and I can't think of one that didn't contribute to the film's narrative in a way. 
  • Cinematography: 8/10
Why? Beautifully shot by Christos Voudouris ("Before Midnight"), there is no denying that Tamara Jenkins' first film in 11 years is pleasing to look at. From the interesting camera placement to the appropriate color palette used, it will without a doubt sparkle the interest of any aspiring cinematographer out there.
  • Score/Soundtrack: 5/10
Why? The film is generally score-less, apart from a few tunes that played in the background and that I found didn't really belong, even though they weren't necessarily unpleasant to listen to.


FINAL GRADE: 7/10

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