Sometimes it’s easy to forget just how remarkable Jodie Foster’s career is. She was ten when she starred in her first film, Disney’s 1972 Napoleon and Samantha, followed by Bugsy Malone and Freaky Friday which came out in the same year, 1976, as did Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, which she was nominated for in the Best Supporting Actress category, which she filmed when she was twelve.

She would later pick up two gold statues for Best Actress in 1989’s The Accused and 1992’s The Silence of the Lambs. On top of acting she has also dabbled in directing, both TV and film, that has seen her direct episodes for House of Cards and Black Mirror, as well as four films such 2011’s The Beaver and 2016’s Money Monster.

Now, at the age of 63, she has a new first, a starring role speaking French in this French film.

Living and working in Paris is American Lilian Steiner (Foster). She’s a psychiatrist that has lived there some time, having been married to Gabriel (Daniel Auteuil) – now separated from, and raised son Julien (Vincent Lacoste), who is now grown up, raising a son of his own.

One day She decides to chase up a patient who has missed three sessions, only to be later informed that she has died. She is visited by her daughter Valérie (Luŕna Bajrami), who tells her that it’s believed that she committed suicide, but she believes otherwise; she thinks she’s been murdered, with her mum leaving a note as a clue, which she thinks Lilian can work out, as she was her patient for nine years.

It’s a busy period in Lilian’s life, but this case troubles her, that leads her on a curious journey to see if she can discover her patient’s killer.

This is quite an odd little French whodunit, that doesn’t entirely work. The initial concept at least is sound; you would think that looking after a patient for such a length of time would definitely give a psychiatrist an insight into their mental state.

But French director Rebecca Zlotowski, who also co-wrote the script, has her protagonist take an unexpected turn, by having her see a hypnotherapist, that unlocks a previous life of hers that has a bearing on her patient’s life. It’s a bitter twist to swallow, having someone with such a solid medical background suddenly be captivated in her supposed previous life, and taking it very seriously.

Meanwhile her relationship with her family members is up and down, as is the one with a particular living patient, whilst at the same getting all Sherlock Holmes in bizarre hocus pocus-ery, solving the possible murder of her patient.

It’s just a little too far-fetched, but Foster is hugely watchable, as usual, as are her scenes with superb French actors such as Auteuil and Mathieu Amalric.

Zlotowski doesn’t quite get the tone right, not sure whether it’s a serious drama, or a tongue-in-cheek approach, ping-ponging back and forth, somewhat bewilderingly.

But at least Foster shines, as she does more often than not, showcasing her je ne sais quoi talent.