Oscar material? Probably not.

Rating: 7/10 (19 June 2017)

An unsettling and introspective look at the days from when JFK was shot through the funeral and how Jackie Kennedy responded. The film flashes back to the 1961 TV tour of the redecorated White House rising as Camelot and ends with its death. The recreation of the period is excellent and the confusion and indecision portrayed by the jump cutting between rooms in the White House is effective.
In the main, the casting is good. Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy is excellent. She looks enough like Jackie to carry it off. Her scenes in the blood stained pink Chanel suit she wore in Dallas are particularly well done. She has enough of Jackie's accent to convince - though I think she actually lip syncs to the real Jackie for the TV broadcast parts. John Carroll Lynch as President Lyndon B. Johnson is a little portly but he carries off the mannerisms in a minimalist way when needed and the recreation of the hurried swearing in aboard Air Force One is prototypical to the photos of the day. Caspar Phillipson as John F. Kennedy is very convincing. Beth Grant as Lady Bird Johnson is a drop dead 100% perfect look-a-like. A lot less convincing is Peter Sarsgaard as Robert F. Kennedy. He is too tall and doesn't get the Boston accent right which is a shame as he is a pivotal figure alongside Jackie in the movie. John Hurt playing her confessor priest Father McSorley is sublime.
This is not a comfortable film. Going from being "First Lady" to an undefined limbo while still inhabiting the White House. It is certainly an interesting examination of how she had to portray her grief and maintain her dignity in a very public spotlight.
Is it a good film? Yes. Oscar material? Probably not. Too far off the baseline for Hollywood. Did I enjoy it? - I think so. Still processing it. That's a good sign - yes?