Review of Jackie (2016) by Adam T — 19 Feb 2017

Unnerving and poignant, Jackie should not be dismissed as a run of the mill "Oscar Bait" biopic of an historical figure. Instead Chilean director Pablo Larraín delivers an unflinching and unbiased look into the life of Jackie Kennedy weeks after her husband was assassinated.

As expected, Natalie Portman is positively flawless in this role and melts into the character and setting with grace, sophistication and ease. Aided by some noteworthy supporting turns from John Hurt and a Garden State reunion of sorts with Peter Sarsgaard, Portman carries this film on her shoulders and I'd go so far as to say she could do it in her sleep.

French cinematographer Stéphane Fontaine does an absolutely terrific job and delivers often haunting images that are not only filmed/framed beautifully but shot on film cementing the period setting of the flawless production design.

Furthering the cold atmosphere of the film is the phenomenal score by Mica Levi who recently astounded me with her work in Under The Skin and goes on again here to compose a skin trembling orchestral score with swells of tension and stern militaristic snares.

There are some dips in pacing and Jackie as a character sometimes thinks a little too loftily of herself but in fact that aids your response as to how you empathise with her struggle. We're left as an audience to decide whether we think of her as a fine woman and mother in a terrible situation or a spoilt, vain, so-and-so who married into her position.

Portman is on Black Swan level of commitment and performance and should win the Oscar in a heartbeat.