This intimate glimpse into a life of Jackie, begins in 1963, the week following the JFK assassination. Jackie (Natalie Portman) is in Hyannis Port at the Kennedy compound. She’s being interviewed, for the first time, by Theodore H. White (Billy Crudup) whose story later appeared in LIFE magazine. Jackie explains she’ll be “editing his article” to which he retorts he wants “her own version of what happened.” For starters, she had never planned to be in Dallas when her husband was shot…
Jackie explains that there is a difference from what people believe and what she knows to be real…
With emotionally lacerating flashbacks, Jackie narrates her version of the past week in her lilt-like and breathy whispers, often accompanied by a very doom, gloom, and uncomfortably deep soundtrack. Most of the musical notes seem to end in a nosedive-spiral suggesting her soul of despair.
With Jack’s death Jackie’s lost more than the husband she wasn’t sleeping with, she’s lost a lifestyle. You see, Jackie is not necessarily her public persona of cool and practiced. For the woman with her gracious smile and eyebrow lift of enthusiasm – who brought such style and décor into the White House – she was apparently frightened and insecure on what to do next.
When Jackie says “a First Lady must always be ready to pack her suitcases” the words are followed by the most precious scene of the film…packing the children’s rooms in the private quarters of the White House. She doesn’t want to let go of what was supposed to be hers. Now, for the funeral – which is all that remains – she can only honor Jack’s legacy her way which suggest she was a difficult and emotionally complex woman. Certainly one can’t fault a grieving and angry widow.
The movie’s cinematography plays out more like a Tom Ford film full of perfectly edited shots and wardrobe, taking the audience back to a time when elegance first stepped into the White House. It’s instead directed by Pablo Larrain (his first English film) who does a mesmerizing job. Greta Gerwig portrays Nancy Thurman, Jackie’s social secretary, while Peter Sarsgaard plays the role of Bobby Kennedy.
The film itself has little energy, but this is Portman’s performance. And besides, with recent real life news of Castro’s death and Trump’s Presidential win, the studio is undoubtedly dancing to the box office. But sadly, while the movie is a great cinematic experience, it’s not destined to be a great award winner.
There have been several portrayals of Jackie Kennedy, but this is the best… done in a single vision, almost as if the world moves around her and her debutante entitlement. Such close-ups are usually avoided for bio pics. Portman is gorgeous, though looks nothing like Kennedy. But, Portman embodies the character with the voice, poise, posture, and egg-shell-like delicacy. You’ll wonder how many stills and news reels Portman watched to lock Jackie’s persona. The Academy voters love actors who embody a historical figure. That will nominate her. What will win her the Oscar is that the world is hungry for the way Politics used to be.
As Jackie says in the film ‘for royalty you need traditions and you need time.” Like him or hate him, four years won’t be enough for President-elect Trump to understand that process of the Patriotic role he’s been handed. In watching this film about the honor of service and history, the great Trump tragedy isn’t his win, but that he doesn’t quite understand what’s involved in being Commander-in-Chief.
What will do this film justice in the award season – and some fifty years later – is that for one brief and shining moment, there was, thank God, a Camelot. 3 tiaras