Review of Jackie (2016) by Andrew M — 18 Feb 2017

Before we're given even a single frame of Pablo Larraín's Jackie, something is immediately evident: this is not a typical movie. Mica Levi's score kicks in with a chilling intro song, a sharp mid-to-low arrangement of strings that feels downright otherworldly. As the film truly begins, and this story truly begins, it becomes more and more evident that this is not a typical biopic. This is not a glowing, glamorous film that follows the typical narrative conventions of the biopic in telling the story of perhaps the most famous woman to ever live in the White House.

This is a horror movie. An Aronofsky-esque nightmare, which is only fitting with his involvement in the production (he was once slated to direct before the reigns went to Larraín). It's jarring at first, but it's undeniably fitting for the story of a woman who has no idea how to progress with her life following the assassination of her husband. A woman who's mind may as well be imploding from within as she juggles holding back tears in favor of forced smiles. It's that post-assassination time period that the film focuses almost entirely on, putting aside much of Jackie Kennedy's upbringing and pre-White House life. In that regard, it's less a biopic than a character study of grief, backed by a performance from Natalie Portman that shows a true understanding of how Jackie Kennedy must have felt at that time. From her posture to her spot-on voice, Portman completely embodies Jackie, which only makes the mental breakdown of her character all the more powerful.

It's fitting that this film comes at that time in between presidents. One of Jackie Kennedy's strongest beliefs, one that Larraín and writer Noah Oppenheim establish as a central theme of the film, was the idea that the inhabitants of the White House are something more than just some citizens who get to temporarily control the state of the nation. It's a position defined by legacy. In the film (and outside of the film as well), the lyrics of the finale of the musical Camelot are featured prominently: "Don't ever let it be forgot / That once there was a spot / For one brief shining moment that was Camelot." Amidst the horror, a nation living in fear of such an ugly event, and a First Lady who's mind is collapsing, Jackie Kennedy offered up a message of hope. A message not only for herself, but for everyone.