Film Review: Jackie

The hottest new film on the block is Jackie and you’ll be hard-pushed to find someone into politics – or who reads the news – who hasn’t heard about it.

Natalie Portman stars as Jackie Kennedy, the widow of former president John F. Kennedy. Her portrayal is particularly rousing in the film, stirring emotion and thorough eeriness throughout it. It has to be said that Portman does indeed do her very best, especially in the days following Kennedy’s assassination when planning his funeral.

The plot of Jackie touches on the time just prior to JKF’s assassination in 1963 and the aftermath of it: from Lyndon B Johnson being sworn-in on a plane with Mrs Kennedy watching, to the funeral planning and afterwards.

My issue with Jackie, though, is that it doesn’t keep your interest throughout. While Portman is great, it feels like we all know the story and this film does not offer or add anything new or refreshing to it. I appreciate this is obviously difficult due to the fact that an assassination and grief is not usually entertaining. However, the lack of focus on the day of the assassination is what really makes the film unwatchable past the first half.

Jackie is, disappointingly, not the best portrayal of the Kennedy assassination and you’d probably be better off reading a book about it.