In the wake of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, Jackie takes us down a path of grief and trauma as Jacqueline Kennedy (Natalie Portman) tries to regain her faith, bury her husband and protect her family.

Caked in dark undertones, Portman delivers a mesmerising performance as Jackie Kennedy, delivering such curiosity and ferocity that it is almost impossible to understand the real motivation of her character. Neither can we understand ultimate aim of anything we see in Jackie. The political intrigue is deep, allowing each audience member to determine and mould their own motivation around both the characters and the events.

Portman is supported by a array of fantastic supporting actors and actresses which makes Jackie even more impressive in it’s intricacies. Unfortunately, none of the spectacular acting makes up for a slow and trudging plotline. With such a small number of events and little to go on, Jackie builds itself on performance and expression, but it certainly doesn’t stop it being a tad…boring.

The direction is good with a great mixture of documentary shots and brilliant cinematography bringing the 60s to life creating a picturesque and natural world. There’s a little bit of an overuse of strings which kills the musical score for me, but otherwise it’s a very well built picture.

Ultimately, Jackie is a mix of brilliance and over indulgence. Jackie was built for Oscar noms, but doesn’t have enough to hold itself as a truly great film. Jackie is fantastic for lovers of biopics and The Kennedy’s, but I don’t think it’ll win over a mainstream audience.

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