An Enigmatic Rendition Of The Titular First Lady And An Interesting Portrait Of Loss, Grief, Trauma & Legacy

Rating: Null/10 (25 February 2017)

Powered by an enigmatic performance from Natalie Portman, Jackie paints an interesting portrait of the former First Lady of the United States and is a skilfully envisioned biographical drama that's emotionally dense & involving at times but it is unfortunately marred by its filmmaker's inability to provide a proper structure & uniform flow to its storyline, thus resulting in a fragmented narrative.
Jackie tells the story of Jacqueline Kennedy and covers the ordeal she goes through following the assassination of her husband & then US President, John F. Kennedy. The plot offers a rare glimpse into her well-guarded personality by focusing on events before & after the tragic incident, like her much publicised tour of the White House, JFK's funeral arrangements, and an attempt to establish her husband's legacy.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Jackie is his first English-language film and although he presents some neat ideas regarding what part to include & which direction to take the story in, he messes it all up by trying to juggle too many subplots at once, thus resulting in unexpected tonal shifts and jarring scenes. The script packs a solid premise but could've used more refinement in order to streamline the whole narrative flow.
The technical department showcase an extensive amount of research in each n every aspect, for all its set pieces & costumes are in tune with the historical accounts plus the grainy camera-work & seamless integration of archived footages do bring an added authenticity to its depicted timeline. And last but not the least, the stinging score from Mica Levi is chilling at first but it turns repetitive after a while and doesn't leave much of an impact.
Coming to the performances, Jackie features a reliable cast in Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup & John Hurt in what turned out to be his final role. Most impressive of them all is Portman who delivers a truly knockout performance in the role of the iconic First Lady and captures the different shades of her character with panache. The rest do well in their given roles but are easily eclipsed by Portman's stellar rendition.
On an overall scale, Jackie had all the ingredients to finish as a thoroughly compelling biopic and works as a powerful vignette of loss, grief, trauma & legacy but all of it might have resonated more had it opted for a simpler plot line instead of jumping from flashbacks to present to flashforwards without any sense of direction. Admirable for its meticulous attention to period-specific details & saved by Natalie Portman's beautifully layered performance, Jackie is nevertheless worth a shot.