Review of Jackie (2016) by Saintdecky — 12 Feb 2017

Jackie is a beautifully shot, well-acted movie that is perfectly executed.

Acting: Natalie Portman was phenomenal, and a great fit for the role. She may have only made a few different faces throughout the entirety of the film, but she portrayed Jackie perfectly. The entire cast was amazing as well. Peter Sarsgaard was very good especially in a few scenes where he had breakdowns. John Hurt was in some of my favorite scenes in the entire movie as the priest. Natalie Portman definitely deserves the Oscar (more than Black Swan) but there are plenty of other deserving actresses that I would be okay with if they won instead.

Cinematography: Jackie is beautifully shot, and the cinematography is one of my favorite aspects of the entire film. It is up-close and personal throughout, making it more intimate and like you're actually there. There are plenty of scenes where there are very little cuts, making it feel all the more natural and realistic. I've seen plenty of people say that the camerawork felt claustrophobic, but I got a more intimate feeling that blended perfectly with the tone of the film.

Plot: Many people were expecting a basic biopic of Jackie's life, but it basically takes place during the few days after JFK is assassinated. So don't walk in the theater expecting it to be a typical biopic on her life. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded as well; there are about three things going on basically. One is an interview with Jackie, one is her touring the White House, and one in the "present time," and there are other smaller ones like her talking to the priest. They all blend perfectly together, and don't feel convoluted or confusing at all. I also enjoyed how the movie didn't focus on making the viewer feel as sad as possible and in tears by the end, like Manchester by the Sea. The point of Jackie was not be in tears about how sad the event was, but to focus on how it specifically effected Jackie, which is executed perfectly.

Screenplay: The screenplay is well-written and at times deep. To make an hour and a half movie that's mainly talking is always hard to do, and this movie pulled it off great.

Score: The score is haunting, though at times a bit repetitive. There's one signature sound that plays over and over throughout the movie. However, every time it comes back it is still as haunting as the last time. The score is beautiful and atmospheric, and sets up a perfect tone for the movie.

Overall, Jackie is a good movie that, in my opinion, flew just a bit under the radar, since it did not receive a best picture nomination. In my opinion, this movie deserved to be nominated over Hell or High Water.