Jackie

Rating: 7/10 (25 December 2016)

"Jackie" is a nuanced portrayal of Jackie Kennedy in the days surrounding JFK's assassination. We see her calm composure in the days before and her struggle to maintain this in the days after. It dies show the assassination itself, but each time it shows a little bit more, and each time it's a bit more intense and disturbing. The film is done entirely from the perspective of Jackie herself, and the film jumps around through time in such a way as if we are looking into her mind ourselves. The cinematography shows this through constantly being intimately close to Jackie's face. Considering this is a film driven by the central character of Jackie Kennedy (and her alone), this film required a great central performance, and Natalie Portman gives one. It goes further than the fact that she talked with the same voice as Jackie Kennedy. Perhaps the most visceral and emotionally resonant part of the film, was her performance. Even in this horrible, terrifying situation, Natalie Portman never resorts to overacting. The soundtrack is fantastic and conveys a sense of dread throughout the film.
Through her political dealings, her first interview after the assassination, and, most of all, several meetings with a Priest, we learn much about this important historical figure. Jackie Kennedy is humanized through this film. We learn about her conflicts during the aftermath of the assassination, and despite constantly depicting herself as strong and resilient to the public, we see that she was absolutely confused, lonely, and terrified underneath. She clearly loved her husband and wanted badly to honor him, but she also romanticized him to the point where he was no longer a real human in her mind, but instead a perfect legend. It is insinuated several times that she didn't have a perfect relationship with her husband. Her children were all that she had left and she wanted to protect them, but she mentions she wants to be assassinated like her husband, not just for the fame, but just to be with him. It seems she felt that she lost potential with JFK, and I think that's why she tried so hard to make sure she and her husband went down in history. More than anything, it seems Jackie just felt lonely.
This film is a bit cluttered in its narrative structure, but since this is primarily a character study, I didn't mind. The film isn't about the historical figure, but the human being behind that facade. The film is simply an intimate and personal portrayal of a conflicted woman in horrible circumstances.