Portman Steals the Show with a Wonderful Performance

Rating: Null/10 (23 January 2017)

Jackie (2016)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Pablo Larrain directed this fascinating look at the hours, days and weeks in the life of Jackie Kennedy (Natalie Portman) after the assassination of her husband. We see her try to cope with his murder as well as trying to stay strong for the nation as well as comforting her children.
If you're expecting a straight-forward bio-pic then you'll probably be disappointed with this because director Larrain doesn't deliver anything like that. Instead of a straight drama we're given a rather bleak and depressing character study that tries to show how strong Jackie Kennedy was but at the same time show the horrors that she was battling. Not only do we see her wiping her husband's blood off of her face but also her having to plan for a funeral, deal with the political business as well as try to explain to their children why daddy won't be coming home again.
The film is certainly a very well-made one and I want to point that out right from the start. The film bounces around in regards to its story because we go from moments after the assassination to a set-up, which involves Jackie telling her story to a reporter (Billy Crudup). While that segment takes place weeks after the assassination, another side of the story deal with her questioning God to a Priest. The story even takes place before the assassination as she hosts a television show that she takes on a tour throughout the White House. I must admit that the director held everything together quite well but at the same time I think some of the character drama is lost by bouncing around so much.
There's certainly a style going on here and it's even more clear with the loud and sweeping music score. In a lot of ways the film wants to tell its story with the score as well as the interesting cinematography. Again, all of it is extremely well-done but at the same time I think we lose some of the drama from what is going on with Kennedy. As for Portman, clearly she's the reason to watch the movie as she digs into this role and there's not a single second in the film where you feel as if you're watching an actress. Portman really nails this character to the point where you feel as if you're watching the real woman and a woman having to deal with the shock and horror of what has happened. The supporting cast fit their roles quite nicely as well but there's no question that Portman is the jewel.
As well-made as the film is, one can't help but wonder what it would have been like had the director told a more straight version. The film is so well-made that it's hard to really bash the director for how he decided to tell the story but either way, JACKIE is certainly an interesting take on the material and Portman clearly shines.