Jackie (***1/2)

I feel compelled to begin making bets on this year's Oscar ceremony, particularly in the Best Actress race. In my mind's eye, there can't be a performance that will top Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy. It's calculated and convincing in a way that is undeniable. From looks to voice, what we see on screen is far and away Portman's crowning achievement. The buzz has been entirely around this performance, and having now seen the film, it's easy to understand that it's really a one-woman show.

The story is told in flashbacks (as many historical films do) as an unnamed reporter (Billy Crudup) comes to meet with the elusive Jackie in the weeks after her husband's assassination and her relocation away from the White House. With a temperament that is already biased against publishers that have elaborated about her life to more closely resemble a tabloid, she negotiates the basis for their dialogue and what will and will not be included. Her voice is deep, calm, and her face never breaks from the reporter's eyes. This is not a happy meeting.

"Jackie" is certainly a slow-paced story, focusing more on character than plot. Through flashbacks, we essentially see the breakdown within the First Family of the immediate aftermath of the shooting. There isn't an 'Oliver Stone-like' scene in which the assassination is played out in graphic detail, and in fact it is shown in barely a few seconds of terror. The story is on Jackie, her inner torments... There are many scenes of her and Bobby Kennedy (Peter Sarsgaard) speaking in private, debating on the ways to handle funeral arrangements. Jackie researches the funeral procession of Abraham Lincoln, a man who was remembered after his murder in the public's eye. With barely 2 years under his belt, there is worry that JFK will go down in history like James A Garfield or William McKinley, 2 presidents also assassinated and now forgotten.

From 'Black Swan' and now to 'Jackie,' it's easy to recognize the growth and maturation of Natalie Portman the performer. This is a full role, full of nuance and fragility. Within the film, there are contrasting cuts to her famous television tour of the White House, illustrating the renovation and complete overhaul of the famous home's historical artifacts. Portman is never better than these scenes, not only capturing the walk and mannerisms of the famous First Lady, but also her weaknesses and fear of the public's perception of her. Her voice is airy and outwardly 'fake,' but as the film demonstrates, she was a well-researched woman with tact and brain power much beyond those around her. Another moment captures her washing the blood off her face just before Johnson is sworn in. The camera is so close that we can barely see both her eyes in frame. The grief that explodes off the screen is horrifying.

Pablo Larrain, the director who makes his English-language film debut, frames the story as though a dream. Rarely is the camera locked down, and oftentimes we float along with Jackie through the halls of the White House as she realizes that this quite literally the end of one side of her life. Coupled with an almost-experimental film score that so perfectly pinpoints emotional cues, there is certainly skill at a production level that shouldn't be forgotten come Oscar season.

Is the film great? I don't think so. This is a movie made almost exclusively to highlight the skills of our leading actress, pushing story, pace, and drama to the side. The ending itself slowly drags along, scene after scene, almost as though the director doesn't want to look away from such an amazing performance. I can hardly blame him. It analyzes a woman that is so famous throughout America and yet most people probably don't know the first thing about her. There is so much more to this woman than a blood-stained pink suit.