Private Life is probably not a movie I would have chosen to watch on my own. However, we are trying to watch and review all of the Netflix originals that we can (holy cow there are a lot of them!) so this one is for you, dear readers!
[Note: This movie deals with infertility and struggles to get pregnant, if that is a difficult topic for you, you may want to avoid this review and the movie altogether.]
The story follows a couple in their forties, Rachel and Richard (played by Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti) as they struggle to have a child. They've decided to take the "everything" approach and are both going through fertility treatments and trying to adopt. The journey takes an interesting twist when their doctor suggests using an egg donor, and they ask their step-niece Sadie if she would be willing to donate. From there the story follows the three of them on the ups and downs of this journey.
I feel like the story could have been interesting and explored some uncommon dynamics, but mostly I ended up distracted by how dang long it was! It dragged from the beginning and towards the end ever new scene made me cringe as I kept hoping it would be over. The acting was good, the deep and strong emotions surrounding a subject like this were well-portrayed, but after awhile it was just too much.
I'm not really sure who this movie would be good for. I supposed if you like glimpses into the private lives of others you will enjoy this exploration, but be aware it is a dreary and rather depressing glimpse. If you might relate to this movie because of your own struggles, I can only imagine it would be difficult if not near impossible to watch. It's not my kind of movie, but armed with this review you can make your own choice about whether or not it's for you.