Private Fears In Public Places

Private Fears in Public Places

Director: Alain Resnais
Written by: Jean-Michel Ribes 
Photography: Eric Gautier 
Starring: André Dussollier, Sabine Azéma and Isabelle Carré. 
Year: 2006
Country: France 



 Private Fears in Public Places is the 2006 film from French New Wave director, Alain Resnais. Adapted from the play by British playwright, Alan Ayckbourn.


 Private Fears is another one of those films that follows the at first seemingly separate but all interconnected stories of individuals living in the same city. Although Private Fears doesn't have the same self-importance and grandiose that Magnolia or other films of this narrative style often do.   


 The film takes place in a Parisian deep winter, where six individuals deal with plights of loneliness and relationships. 


 Although the film is set in Paris and you get the required backdrop of the Eiffel Tower in the poster, there are no exteriors of Paris in this at all. It's made up entirely from interior sets. The art design on these sets though is spectacular, the entire film is sleek, colourful and modern. 


 The ensemble cast does a good job. For me the highlight performance is André Dussollier, who plays an estate agent who becomes infatuated with his secretary. 


 The photography from Eric Gautier is great. He's done stunning work before on movies like Into The Wild and The Motorcycle Diaries, which are mostly exterior based film, so this is somewhat different to what he's done before.   


 The biggest problem with Private Fears is that the whole film feels inconsequent, it doesn't say or mean anything which leaves you feeling frustrated at the end. 


 Private Fears passes the six laugh test, which is good for a drama that doesn't claim to be a comedy, too. In fact, it works better as a comedy than it does as a drama.  


 Private Fears in Public Places looks beautiful but it lacks in substance, although it will raise some smiles and some laughs.  

 Score: 2.5/5