Jackie

Natalie Portman stars as Jackie Kennedy in a biopic covering mostly the days and weeks after JFK’s assassination.

I didn’t know what to expect at all going into Jackie, but it serves as a nice follow-on from Manchester by the Sea in the sense that it’s another film about grief.

The similarities end there though. Where Manchester is one of the most down to earth, brutally realistic films made in recent years, Jackie is a beautiful and surreal experience.

Much of the credit is due to Natalie Portman, who drives the film forward with nuance, quiet anger, guilt and grief. This isn’t a ‘powerful’ performance in the traditional sense yet she’s earned her nomination for best actress by making every word and every minute gesture count for something.

Larraín carefully contrasts colour and style with pain and confusion to make a truly unique film. One of the best of 2016 and easily in the top 20 biopics ever made. A must see.