Review of Jackie (2016) by Danielgro — 31 Jul 2017
"Perfect people can't change. Jack was always getting better... stronger. Sometimes he would walk into the desert alone just to let himself be tempted by the Devil." It is this line with which Jacqueline Kennedy, with outstanding feminine empowerment answers the reporter about his late husband's flaws.
A line which makes perfection seem more like a flaw in itself. It is a pattern which this movie embraces. The pattern of presenting the First Lady as a defeated human person amidst the chaos of politics and at the same time a powerful woman which faces suffering with pride and acknowledgment.
It is easy to see this, as Pablo Larraín centers almost every single scene around its main character creating almost a Shakespearean monologue about loss, love and spirituality. Sure, the movie tends to delve into slight pretentiousness and annoying blabbering after the first hour but, immediately, it is revitalized by Portman's outstanding performance and the director's natural affinity for heavy poetic flamboyance.
Indeed, Larraín does not offer us a documentary-like behind-the-glass view, but rather a dissection of the personal trauma of the ones closest to JFK. It is almost ironic, as it feels like an American filmmaker could not capture this event the way it was made here.
This review of Jackie (2016) was written by Danielgro on 31 Jul 2017.
Jackie has generally received positive reviews.
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