Badly flawed and one dimensional

Rating: 6/10 (8 January 2018)

John F. Kennedy was the first president elected in an age where imagine often trumps the reality of experience, ability, and policy. Jacqueline Kennedy likewise was a photogenic First Lady who ingratiated herself with the American public. Their popularity was not universal -- JFK won the presidential election of 1960 by one of the most narrow margins in American history (some believe the winning ballots were purchased with Kennedy money). As president, JFK's approval rating started out one of the highest ever, but by the time of his murder in Dallas had declined to about average for most US presidents.
Predictably, this film tries to portray the Kennedy years in the White House as the mythical "Camelot" that Jacqueline compared to it only AFTER the assassination. There are very few scenes depicting Jacqueline with her husband, yet we are supposed to believe there was a close, loving relationship. There is no direct mention of JFK's barely concealed, nearly blatant philandering in the White House with wives of friends, secretaries, and even prostitutes.
The portrayal of Robert Kennedy particularly missed the mark. RFK was the "bad cop" to JFK's "good cop" and was widely despised. The actor portraying him was far too mellow and soft to accurately reflect the razor-sharp wit and temper of the real RFK. The real RFK was hawkish on Cuba, and was involved in many of the early errant decisions on US involvement in Vietnam. The scene in which he laments over lost opportunities (civil rights, the space program) is particularly misleading since JFK cared or did little for civil rights unless forced by events, and RFK seemingly only championed civil rights later when he was preparing for a run at the presidency himself and it was politically expedient to do so. Neither did JFK see the space program as anything more than a Cold War challenge to Soviet technological prowess.
Finally, Natalie Portman's portrayal as Jacqueline Kennedy unconvincing. The actress was too short (5'3", about average for women in 1963), while the real Jackie was 5'7", far above average. The real Jacqueline's height was no doubt part of her dignified, well-poised physical image (much as runway models are chosen for height, among other physical aspects). Portman's makeup and hairstyles vary widely from shot to shot, and often the wigs she wears sit awkwardly and huge atop her small head.
In summary, the film is a thick coating of theatrical paint over a thin substrate of history, portrayed by a cast that fail to evoke the mystique and create the hold that that the real Kennedy clan had upon the American people for decades.