Review of Jackie (2016) by Dana F — 18 Feb 2018

About a year ago, this movie was getting Best Picture buzz, but ended up coming short... and after seeing it, I can see why. It's a good movie, and effectively depicts what Jackie must really have been going through during the most harrowing and traumatic time of her life, but the film is a little too experimental for Oscar voters, who tend to prefer more traditional storytelling.

Like so many biopics these days, it's not a biography, it's just a snapshot of a few "days in the life" of the famous Jackie Kennedy. The narrative is anything but linear, and you could definitely argue that there is more style than substance to this movie.

Even so, I don't think that was to its detriment. The entire film has a dreamlike, ethereal quality to it, which coincides perfectly with Jackie's breathy voice and the idealistic illusion of what "Camelot" was.

It really works. This movie got an Oscar nomination for its score, but I found the score to be the weirdest and most jarring thing about it. The music did not complement the scenes, and even distracted you from what was going on on-screen.

Undoubtedly, the best thing this movie has going for it is Natalie Portman's tour de force performance in the titular role. She's so tiny compared to everyone else around her, but she is a monster on screen.

I found myself enjoying this movie much more than I had expected. I didn't learn anything, historically speaking, but it gives you a broader perspective about that awful day in 1963.