Jackie (2016)
2016
R
100 Minutes
An account of the days of First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, in the immediate aftermath of John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963.
User Review
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WHAT I LIKED: There's no question that Natalie Portman is the driving force behind 'Jackie,' as she delivers one of the most captivating performances (and 'performance,' really is the key word here) of her incredibly impressive career, but that's not the only thing that makes this film a success. Yes along with her performance, Pablo Larraín and his team manage to build an exceedingly heavy atmosphere around the bewildered and saddened lead that brings you right into the thick of the confusion. This is thanks to the moody cinematography that counteracts the beauty and vanity on display in the sets and costumes, as well as the excellent score and choppy narrative structure, and in the end the result is a film that explores confusion, sadness, power and vanity in a brilliantly atmospheric whirlwind that successfully takes you right into the thick of the themes and emotions.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: The fact we follow Jackie in such a confused web of strands does equally make the film a little difficult to swallow, and consequently its themes only really conclude in the very final moments - albeit in a beautifully graceful way.
VERDICT: The heavy atmosphere and whirlwind of ideas here is almost as powerful as Natalie Portman's performance, and both of those things combined makes 'Jackie,' a properly brilliant piece of work.0 member like this review.
