Jackie is a film which comes directed by Pablo Larraín. The film stars Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig and Richard E. Grant. Jackie is a story about the events shortly after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The film focuses around the President’s wife and her dealings following the assassination as she grieves the loss of her husband.
Every time it reaches near the end of the year or the start of a new one, we get a bunch of films that look like things that would fit right into the Oscars. Jackie is exactly one of those films and one that I think will probably either get nominated for, or possibly even win many awards. I went into the film really looking forward to seeing this one, Natalie Portman is usually a pretty great actress to watch and the life of the Kennedy’s is always so interesting.
I had the impression though that maybe this was a film about the life of Jackie Kennedy, however it actually isn’t. It’s really just focusing on the events following the death of her husband, which to me is kind of disappointing because she does really have an interesting life and Natalie Portman was really great with this character. The problem I have with the film is that it’s kind of depresssing to watch, I mean the whole thing is basically focusing on someone’s grieving process and there’s nowhere in the movie where there’s much happiness. I think because of the nature of what the story is, it’s hard to like the movie. Sure it’s a great film and it’s very well made and also well acted, but it’s just not a very happy experience to watch.
As for the actors though, Natalie Portman is great. She delivers a very strong performance here and since she’s the main character and also the one in grieving most of the time, there’s a lot in there for her to do more emotional or dramatic scenes. The rest of the actors are all pretty standard though and there isn’t anyone else who’s that memorable.
The film’s director Pablo Larraín really did pick a very dark and bleak story to tell. Sure it’s an interesting historical moment in America’s history, I understand that and as a person who’s interested in history, I’m naturally interested in the film. But as a story that was told on film, I can’t see if there’s anything inspiring about it. It’s a well told moment and it’s very dramatic, but it’s just kind of sad.
Overall I did enjoy the film and I think it’s well made, well acted and possibly well directed. But the story is very sad and much of it revolves around Jackie grieving for her husband. It’s not a happy story and I understand not every film needs to be a ‘happy’ experience, but I kind of still wish this one was a little more uplifting to watch. But even so, it’s not a bad drama to watch at the cinema by any means. If you’re a fan of Natalie Portman or Jackie Kennedy, you might have a great time with this one.
