Jackie

Under the direction of Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain, Oscar nominee Natalie Portman is dazzling as Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. On November 22, 1963, when U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, terrified Jackie was at his side in the Dallas motorcade. Shortly afterward, she was interviewed by an unnamed journalist (Billy Crudup), during which she voiced the catchy Camelot conception of her husband's brief tenure. “Don't let it be forgot that once there was a spot for one brief shining moment that was known as Camelot,” she quotes from JFK's favorite Broadway musical, which revived the King Arthur legend. There are flashbacks to Jackie narrating a CBS-TV White House tour, pointing out her refurbishments while proudly pronouncing that none were financed by taxpayers' money. And much is made of how grieving Jackie micro-managed JFK's funeral for maximum historical impact, patterning it after Abraham Lincoln's. A secretive chain-smoker, Jackie exhibits steely determination and sophisticated discretion, particularly concerning her husband's infidelities. But little is ultimately made of Kennedy's philandering, nor is there any mention of Jackie's subsequent marriage to Greek shipping billionaire Aristotle Onassis. A solemn, unsentimental character study, Jackie belongs to Portman, whose stunning impersonation replicates Jackie's posture, walk, and whispery voice, aided by the bouffant hairstyle, glossy eye makeup, and chic wardrobe. Also featuring Peter Sarsgaard as Bobby Kennedy, Greta Gerwig as Nancy Tuckerman, John Hurt as an Irish Catholic priest, and Max Casella as Jack Valenti, this is recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “From Jackie to Camelot” behind-the-scenes featurette (23 min.), and a photo gallery. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for this performance-driven bio-pic.] (S. Granger)