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Sean Mulvihill said in his review, “When the movies
cover the topic of the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy it is typically
through the lens of the loss of American innocence, the murder that opened the
floodgates on the social turmoil that defined the ‘60s.” director Pablo Larraín
and screenwriter Noah Oppenheim have teamed up to look at the assassination in
a way that it has never been looked at on screen before – how much of an impact
the loss was on JFK’s wife Jaqueline Kennedy. “Jackie” looks at the assassination
and the results through her view, which is a sad look at the intersection of
loss and legacy that is led by a powerful performance by Natalie Portman.
After the assassination and funeral of JFK, Jackie
Kennedy (Portman) agrees to tell her side of the incident to a journalist
(Billy Crudup). The mourning widow tells some of her happier days in the White
House along with the tragic day and the rough days that followed. The nicer
moments are of Jackie giving a television news crew a tour of the White House,
telling the history around the Kennedys each night. The sadder moments are of
the First Lady wearing the famous pink dress with blood stains on it as she
witnesses Lyndon B. Johnson (John Carol Lynch) being sworn in as president
after her husband’s murder to trying to plan the expansive funeral with the
help of Robert Kennedy (Peter Sarsgaard). With all of her grief, Jackie must
balance keeping up appearances for her two young children (Sunnie Pelant and
Brody and Aiden Weinberg) along with the American people while she plans the
funeral that she believes will secure JFK’s legacy.
Mulvihill credited, “Natalie Portman gives one of the
finest performances of her illustrious career as the mourning First Lady. She captures
the aristocratic Northeastern inflection of the historical figure, and conveys
each and every aspect of grief in this powerful performance. The grace and
dignity that we’ve come to associate with Jacqueline Kennedy is present
Portman’s presence, but the actress also brings a wounded overtone to the role.”
At times, Portman’s Jackie is lost like in scenes where she pours her heart out
to a priest, played by John Hurt. At other times, she dominates scenes like
when she tells her funeral wishes to Bobby Kennedy or LBJ’s assistant Jack
Valenti, played by Max Casella.
Mulvihill said, “There’s an intimacy to Pablo
Larraín’s direction, with much of Stéphane Fontaine’s cinematography employing
tight close ups of its leading lady under duress. Much like Neruda, Pablo
Larraín eschews the basic tenets of the biopic in favor of examining moments in
the lives of historical figures.” For the most part, Jackie is not concerned
with the days that JFK was murdered, despite Larraín does show the time in a shocking
detail near the end. Larraín and screenwriter Oppenheim display the seclusion
and sadness of Jacqueline Kennedy in those grieving times with emotional clarity,
especially how she struggles to understand her husband’s place in history. Mulvihill
criticized, “However, sometimes the movie is a bit too on the nose, such as a
moment where Jackie is drowning her sorrows with booze while listening to the
soundtrack to Camelot.”
“Jackie” is also a success of design, with a
completely great look to its costumes, makeup, sets, and production design. Mulvihill
said, “The film has a wonderful aesthetic that matches the elegance that Jackie
Kennedy embodied with style and vibrant color. But the score by Mica Levi plays
counter to that elegance with music that captures the essence of grief and
despair, an unsettling score that emphasizes the film’s emotional content.”
There will never be a final word on the assassination
of JFK. That’s a time that has captured the attention of the American people
for over 50 years and is a moment that is present throughout American history. “Jackie”
looks at the events and the aftermath through the mourning of Jackie Kennedy.
Natalie Portman’s performance, the certain director of Pablo Larraín, and the
chilling music of Mical Levi will live on as a tragic look of that America in
transition through the eyes of a grieving First Lady.
I will admit, this is a powerful movie to see on Max.
However, there are moments where it felt like Portman was whispering too much.
Other than that, this is a good movie to check out and I do recommend it to
those who want to see a look at the result of JFK’s murder that has never been
seen before. Check it out and experience it for yourself.
Happy Independence Day everyone. Stay tuned later today for what I will review this month.
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