Natalie Portman shines in 'Jackie'
In "Jackie," Natalie Portman plays Jacqueline Kennedy: These two names are enough to get fans excited. The film on JFK's widow premiered at the Venice film festival and now opens in the US.
Lady in red
Jacqueline Kennedy was a fashion icon, and remains the enduring embodiment of the stylish woman of the 1960s. Savvy and chic: That's also how she is portrayed by Natalie Portman in the film "Jackie" by Chilean director Pablo Larraín.
Alongside her husband
Through short flashbacks, Jacqueline Kennedy looks back at the life she led as First Lady while her husband, John F. Kennedy, was the 35th US president. It was shorter than expected - barely three years. Caspar Phillipson plays the role of the famous former president in "Jackie."
Mourning after the assassination
"Jackie" rather focuses on the period following the assassination of her husband: the shock, the horror, the grief, and the slow realization that a new phase of her life is about to begin. Bobby Kennedy (Peter Sarsgaard), JFK's brother, shares Jackie's grief.
Leaving the White House
Jackie Kennedy is brutally reminded that her time at the White House is over. She needs to part from the comfort of being First Lady, but is also suddenly freed from the duties that came with the position.
The grief of a nation came first
"Jackie" goes through the four days after JFK's assassination. Jacqueline Kennedy had to concentrate on getting through the official mourning ceremonies and consoling her children - leaving her own personal grief on the back burner.
Natalie Portman is Jackie
"Jackie" is above all propelled by Natalie Portman's strong performance. The Israeli-American actress really dives into the character; it is "her" film. She masters the difficult scenes as a grieving widow just as brilliantly as the happier flashback sequences.
A Chilean filmmaker
"Jackie" is not a typical Hollywood biopic. In this American-Chilean-French co-production, film director Pablo Larraín created an intimate portrait concentrating on the main character. Larraín is no newcomer: Last year, he was awarded the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival - the Berlinale - for his film "El Club."
Beautiful and blood-stained
"Jackie" is a captivating film because it shows a beautiful and expressive historical figure (and actress) as well as suffering and grief. This scene, where Jackie initially refuses to take off her blood-stained dress after the assassination, captures well these different aspects.