The world will never forget November 22, 1963, the day when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade through a plaza in Dallas, Texas. It was one of the most tragic moments of U.S. history. Not to mention it has become the most popular topic among conspiracy theorists for decades. Countless documentaries, TV shows and Hollywood movies have taken a more investigative approach and closely examined the assassination through different perspectives. And whereas the majority of them considered the grand scheme of things, “Jackie,” the latest feature of the "JFK genre," is by far the most personal.
The film puts the spotlight on former First Lady Jackie Kennedy (played by Natalie Portman) and her life in the White House before and after John Kennedy's murder in 1963. It begins with Jackie recounting her experiences to journalist Theodore H. White (Billy Crudup), who’s writing a piece about her for "Life" magazine. From then on, the story is told through flashback, and the film explores her grief, her dignity, her strength and her legacy.
It’s tough explaining the synopsis of a movie that’s meant to be felt more than analyzed. What I mean is that, as a whole, there’s nothing to spoil. What you see is what you get. The film doesn’t have any surprise twists, nor does it get overly complicated or politically charged. The characters drive the story rather than the narrative. It’s simple, just as it should be for the type of story they’re trying to tell. The focus is right where it needs to be. Granted, the film only shows a small portion of Jackie’s life and doesn’t care to touch upon her early or later years. But what we do get is something powerful.
Natalie Portman turns in an incredible performance as Jackie Kennedy. Not only are her acting chops on point, but her look, her mannerisms and the way she carries herself allows her to disappear into the role smoothly. At first I thought her voice was a little cartoony, but after some research I realized that was how Jackie actually spoke, and it made me respect Portman’s performance even more. Honestly, if you put up a side-by-side comparison, I bet you wouldn’t see much of a difference.
Billy Crudup is good in the limited role he has, as is John Carroll Lynch as Vice President Lyndon Johnson and Greta Gerwig as Jackie’s assistant, Nancy Tuckerman. John Hurt is also really good as Father Richard McSorley, a priest who consoles Jackie after her husband’s death. I have mixed feelings about Peter Sarsgaard. On one hand, he gives a strong, heartfelt performance as Bobby Kennedy. He’s believable as a grieving brother, and the relationship he has with Jackie is palpable. At the same time, however, I never really saw him as Bobby Kennedy. He doesn’t look or sound anything like him. He’s definitely trying, but I’ll go as far to say he was miscast.
For the most part director Pablo Larraín does well at conveying the intensity of the situation and staying intimate with the characters. Certain shots are awkwardly framed (namely during conversation scenes), and there’s a fogginess to the cinematography that builds a sense of dreariness. So it doesn’t make it necessarily a pretty movie to watch, but one can argue it parallels the grief of the main character.
Still, I wouldn’t say “Jackie” is one of the best movies of the year. But it is pretty good, and the performances alone are worth the price of admission. It’s a fascinating portrait of Jackie Kennedy, perhaps the best we will ever get. It’s a reminder that while the nation lost a president that fateful day, a woman lost her husband.
