Jackie

Parental Rating: R

Contains: Language    Violence    Adult Content    

Jill's Review

Opens december 16, 2016

Runs 100 minutes

This is the story of the aftermath of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy told through the eyes of his wife Jackie Kennedy (Natalie Portman). The story is bookended by interviews with a journalist (Billy Crudup) and a priest (John Hurt) as Jackie tries to come to terms with her grief and tries to shape her husband's legacy. She must deal with her children, the actual funeral and burial and then the fact that she must immediately vacate the White House. Told through Jackie's unbearable grief, this story brings to life the days immediately following JFK's death.

Ok, I think I was supposed to like this movie a little better than I did. Natalie Portman gives an iconic performance and I'm sure she will be nominated for many awards. I just found the movie a little dull. She is consumed by grief and the whole movie feels very slow and lethargic, like moving through fog. I'm sure this was intentional so we could feel Jackie's grief and you do. I guess I thought there might be more to this film but it really only covers the week after his death, through the funeral and burial and as Jackie packs to leave the White House. There were some interesting tidbits - Jackie seemed to be alone a llot. She also did a lot of her own packing for the move. I think things would be different today. I never really thought about the fact that she had to move out of the White House immediately but she did. So, I found those things to be very interesting. The movie as a whole was good but I didn't love it. Still worth seeing for Natalie's performance alone. 

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