Private Fears in Public Places

Name: Private Fears in Public Places
Genre: Drama, Romance
Released: April 13, 2007
Duration: 120 min
Rating: 77
Cast: André Dussollier, Claude Rich, Isabelle Carré, Lambert Wilson, Laura Morante

2007

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 6 Ratings

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6.8

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6.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 6 Ratings

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Private Fears In Public Places

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Movie Details & Credits

IFC Films | Release Date: April 13, 2007

Starring: André Dussollier, Claude Rich, Isabelle Carré, Lambert Wilson, Laura Morante, Pierre Arditi, Sabine Azéma

Summary: Six people collide and influence each other's lives in significant ways as they navigate the cold winter months in Paris. (IFC Films)

Director: Alain Resnais

Genre(s): Drama, Romance

Runtime: 120 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Alain Resnais' 2006 adaptation of a British play by Alan Ayckbourn is a world apart from his earlier Ayckbourn adaptation, "Smoking/No Smoking"; that film tried to be as "English" as possible. But this time Resnais looks for precise French equivalents to British culture, and what emerges is one of his most personal works, intermittently recalling the melancholy "Muriel" and "Providence." Read full review

100

Kevin Thomas

A masterpiece by any measure, is fresh, immediate and contemporary, but its wintry yet warm perspective is suffused with the wisdom and experience of a great filmmaker who turns 85 on June 2. Read full review

David Edelstein

It's a Parisian romantic roundelay with sundry couples connecting and disconnecting, but it looks and sounds like no sex comedy ever made: It's transcendentally yummy. Read full review

V.A. Musetto

Clever, wise and witty. Read full review

Kirk Honeycutt

This is a minor film from a master, which is disappointing, but nevertheless it has its charms, most notably in the acting by a cast of stage and screen veterans. Read full review

Ty Burr

Private Fears says that life is a smoldering holding pattern, but Resnais is gracious enough to blanket the embers with eternal snow. Read full review

Ruthe Stein

Suffers from Resnais' inability to open it up and give it the look and pulse of a film. Read full review

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User Reviews

DanP

Apr 20, 2007

An exquisite film to see! Resnais applies his roots in French experimental filmmaking to this dialogue-driven film. Every set piece and camera movement is visually stunning.

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DawdlingPoet

Nov 22, 2021

I liked this film, for the way the various characters manage to open up to their partner/friend/relative, the thoughtful dialogue and there's the ocassional amusing situation that I enjoyed too. I liked that it tackled basic themes, of isolation, aging and so on but in a decent way. PerhapsI liked this film, for the way the various characters manage to open up to their partner/friend/relative, the thoughtful dialogue and there's the ocassional amusing situation that I enjoyed too. I liked that it tackled basic themes, of isolation, aging and so on but in a decent way. Perhaps a little sentimental but its not an awfully cheesy film as such. Its a good, thoughtful film, a little bittersweet but generally its a film I'd recommend.… Expand

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Trailesque

Jan 5, 2022

This is based on a piece by English playwright Ayckbourn. His is not a name that comes up frequently any more, but he had a long, successful run, specializing in relationships that mingled pathos with humor. This is one of these circular stories, that focus on a group of characters who areThis is based on a piece by English playwright Ayckbourn. His is not a name that comes up frequently any more, but he had a long, successful run, specializing in relationships that mingled pathos with humor. This is one of these circular stories, that focus on a group of characters who are tangentially related, but who don't all know each other. There is Lionel the barman and his horrible, bedridden old father. The father is being cared for by Charlotte, who also works in a real estate office with Thierry. Lionel pours drinks for his alcoholic friend Dan, who is also a client of Thierry. Dan and his girlfriend are looking for an apartment, but their relationship is on the rocks. All of the characters are struggling with some kind of loneliness or other, but it is presented in a light, amusing manner. A few of the characters are older than usual, which is good to see. I thought that the production design clashed somewhat with the realistic narrative. It is all obviously shot on soundstages, sometimes with garish colors, and for some reason the scene changes are noted with flurries of snow, as if it were a Christmas story.… Expand

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tomaszw

Jul 9, 2008

Very stagey and psychologically incomprehensible. Where did these people come from, where do they live? They may speak French but the city ain't Paris but some outer space for seemingly human strays. A waste of time.

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