"Jackie" Review

Title: Jackie

Directed by: Pablo Larrain

Written by: Noah Oppenheim

Year: 2016


There have been a number of films about President John F. Kennedy, especially ones that focus on his famous murder. However, there have not been nearly as many pictures centered around his wife, Jackie. Can Jackie add something more to the well-known story, or is it just another excuse to showcase the assassination?

This biopic concentrates on the events that transpired involving Jackie Kennedy shortly after her husband's death, with the crux being the way she wanted the funeral to be conducted and her relationship with the people she had to deal with.

Natalie Portman's portrayal of Jackie Kennedy is unbelievably good. The trademark accent is difficult to imitate, and yet Portman displays it with a ferocious grace that deserves commendation. But her performance goes beyond the accent. Portman adopts all the mannerisms that defined the famous figure and nails every one of them, particularly the way she walks. Portman completely disappears into the role within the first few minutes of the picture, becoming totally unrecognizable.

Peter Sarsgaard does fine as Robert Kennedy. He does not bring an awful lot to the role, but he does have some good moments and gets the job done. Billy Crudup appears as Theodore H. White, a journalist who interviews Jackie throughout the film. Crudup is terribly one-note, almost like a stone. Where his role calls for subtlety, he supplies monotony. John Hurt, on the other hand, is wonderful, playing a preacher that Jackie consults. Hurt is emphatically compassionate and wise, and his scenes with Portman are the best aspect the film has to offer.

The film takes place within the timespan of about a week, which I found quite a bit disappointing. The majority of the movie is set in the days that followed Kennedy's death. I think the picture would have been better served had more time been devoted to Jackie's being the First Lady while her husband was still alive. This would have established a more concrete image of the strength of their relationship and emphasized her deteriorating state as the film progressed. As it is, the movie just throws you into the midst of it all, with hardly any development.

In addition, the story being told is very uneventful. There is hardly anything of magnitude or interest occurring, instead honing in on Jackie's unsettled mind. Though a bold approach, I feel it did not hit its mark, which makes Jackie a chore to sit through. The concept of peering into this woman's mind during this tragic event is intriguing, but the execution is not handled well, resulting in a film with little story and little insight.

Another factor working against this movie is the way in which it is edited. There are many segments that feel very choppy and uncoordinated. I believe this was the filmmakers' attempt to reflect Jackie's disjointed mind through the film's structure. I admire the artistry behind it, but this does hinder the picture at the same time. The jagged cuts and lack of strict continuity are atypical of the traditional Hollywood style. This does not have to be a bad thing, but I feel this technique affects the movie in a negative way. It usually feels as if the film is meandering, hopping between the days that followed Kennedy's assassination and the frame story of Jackie speaking with the journalist with little to no reason. The incongruent cuts are baffling and do not succeed in achieving a larger purpose.

Ironically, something that benefits this film is the cinematography. The camera is not very engaging, but the way Jackie is framed and blocked is quite unique. Though she is the titular character, there are many sequences where a group of people are in the foreground while Jackie lurks behind them. The camera pans and tracks about her movements, keeping her in focus even though she is pushed to the background. This illustrates her self-isolation and current state of mind beautifully. Furthermore, the production values are impeccable. The sets look fantastic and the costumes are excellent. The recreation of the 1961 televised tour of the White House is a very nice touch and handled with care.

Jackie is a movie that has good intentions but fails to reach its astute aspirations. Portman's outstanding performance is unfortunately mired by a dully executed film. Though the aesthetics look great and the camerawork is inventive, the picture is awfully boring and moves at a sluggish rate, with very few points of interest. The music is foreboding and dreary, more in line with a horror film than a biopic, feeling very out of place. The editing gives off the vibe that a butcher was behind it and the entire movie is drenched in an unappealing and unsaturated color-grade. The scenes involving Hurt are enthralling, however, and the closing 20-30 minutes become much more profound and captivating. I suspect that history-fanatics will thoroughly enjoy this feature, but I did not find myself invested.

Grade: C+