Movie Reaction: Jackie

Formula: 1 / JFK

Legacy is a funny thing. It's not about what you've done. It's about how you'll be remembered, which is often very different. You don't have as much control over your own legacy as you think. It's defined by other people. Sometimes, you are lucky enough to have someone who makes it their job to shape and protect your legacy once you are gone. For John F. Kennedy, that person was Jackie.

Jackie is not your standard biopic. It isn't concerned with covering Jackie Kennedy's whole life. In fact, other than a few scenes during JFK's presidency, it all takes place during the week or two that follow his assassination. The spine of the film is Jackie giving an extensive interview - mostly off the record, she points out often - at her temporary home in Massachusetts, and she jumps around telling the events that followed her husband's death. It certainly covers the "greatest hits" - the assassination, LBJ's inauguration on Air Force One, Kennedy's funeral procession - but it is far more about the moments in between, when Jackie is figuring out how to define her husband's legacy.

It is a marvelous character study. Natalie Portman dominates the film, to the point that it's alarming when there's a scene that she isn't in. In my opinion, it's the best work Portman has ever done. She disappears into the role and it's mesmerizing. This Jackie is always thinking, always processing. She plays the small moments with the same intensity as the big ones. The fact that Portman isn't the per-ordained Oscar winner this year is a testament to how strong the 2016 Lead Actress race is. Billy Crudup as the unnamed journalist interviewing her is wonderful as he just tries to keep up with Jackie. John Hurt has a small, key role as a priest she speaks with. It's the moments with those two characters that we get the most insight into how her mind works. Peter Sarsgaard plays a Bobby Kennedy who has to be both a grieving brother and a present politician. Greta Gerwig has the definition of a supporting role as Jackie's lifelong friend and dutiful social secretary. All of them are very good, but Natalie Portman is running laps around them.

I want to single out Mica Levi's score. I don't know much about music, so my vocabulary is rather limited on the topic. I just know that the music is a key part of the film. It uses a lot of string instruments and is often unsettling. It's an abrasive score but it fits. I never thought I'd find the song "Camelot" to be so haunting.

I really, really liked Jackie. It's more focused than a normal biopic and more substantive than other films that focus so much on a single character (Still Alice comes to mind). It's more than just how effectively Natalie Portman can channel Jackie Kennedy. It's about coping with tragedy and shaping events to mean something greater. Nothing feels big in moment, when you're in the middle of it. It's what you leave behind that becomes significant.

Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend