Jackie

In what is probably my favourite biopic of all time, Portman holds fast as the steady centre of the story. In typically brief Larrain fashion, this snapshot of Jackie O’s life is deferent and dignified in its portrayal of the loss of her great husband. In all its finality, the death of a husband is also the birth of a widow.  Not for the first time, Jacqueline confronts profound loss with grace, wisdom and maturity. With great care and cognisance of the moment’s gravity, Jackie collects herself in service of her husband’s memory, and also her country’s history. Without exploiting emotion or tragedy, Larrain’s hand guides Portman toward a performance that is both vulnerable and precise. Supported by a masterful score and tactfully intimate cinematography, the film provides a lucid portrait of a woman finding her way through an exceptionally complex moment where private grief and public duty exist in high stakes conflict.