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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 2016)
December 14, 2016 The Skanner Page 7 Arts & Entertainment FILM REVIEW: Portman Channels Jackie Kennedy in Perceptive ‘Jackie’ By Kam Williams For The Skanner News H ow did Jackie Kennedy feel in the wake of her husband’s assassina- tion in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963? That is the question explored in “Jackie,” a picture which paints a perceptive por- trait of Camelot’s First Lady by speculating about her mental state during the days immedi- ately following the assassina- tion of JFK (Caspar Phillipson). In that regard, this behind-the- scenes biopic is rather remi- niscent of “The Queen” (2006) which presumed to provide a fly-on-the-wall’s perspective of the goings-on inside Buck- ingham Palace after the un- timely death of Princess Diana. Directed by Pablo Larrain (Neruda), Jackie stars Acad- emy Award-winner Natalie “ ‘Jackie’ stars Academy Award-winner Natalie Portman certain expected staples of the Jackie Kennedy iconography, such as the whispery voice and the pillbox hat, while simulta- neously plumbing the depths of her complicated soul. Consequently, we get a sense when she was being given the bum’s rush out of the White House by incoming Lady Bird Johnson (Beth Grant), who was already thinking about replac- ing the drapes before JFK had been buried. [Natalie Portman] manages to replicate certain expected staples of the Jackie Kennedy iconography, such as the whispery voice and the pillbox hat, while simultaneously plumbing the depths of her complicated soul Portman (for “Black Swan”) in the title role. Portman is like- ly to garner another Oscar nomination for her very con- vincing impersonation of the readily-recognizable legend. For, she manages to replicate l d! a n Fi ken e e W of the familiar public figure’s internal angst in a variety of situations, such as when she had to break the news of their father’s death to Caroline (Sun- nie Pelant) and John-John (Aid- en and Brody Weinberg). Or Fortunately, Jackie did have a shoulder to cry on in her hour of need. No, it was not brother- in-law Bobby (Peter Sarsgaard) who thought of her as a “silly, little debutante,” but the Cath- olic priest (John Hurt) who served as her confidant and confessor. He helped Jackie summon up the strength and courage to accompany her husband’s casket, by foot, in the funeral procession down Pennsylvania Avenue, despite fears of a copycat assassin. Her faith faltering, Jackie freely admitted,, “I think God is cruel.” She even wondered aloud whether she might have been better off marrying “an ordinary, lazy, ugly man.” And while Jackie desperately grasps at straws to make sense of her unspeakable nightmare, the most comforting words her supportive cleric can find are “There are no answers in man’s search for meaning.” A bittersweet drama effec- tively echoing the lyrics from the classic show tune Jackie identified as JFK’s favorite, a week after his passing: “Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shin- ing moment that was known as Camelot.” Excellent HHHH Rated R for profanity and brief graphic violence Running time: 99 minutes Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures La La Land cont’d from pg 6 for tips in dingy dives while trying to save enough cash to open his own nightclub. Mia’s an aspiring actress who divides her time between fruitless auditions and a thankless job as a barista at a coffee shop right on the War- ner Brothers lot. Seb and Mia are strang- ers who initially experience only aggravation whenever their paths serendipitious- ly cross. Eventually, sparks do finally fly, which inspires them to belt out mellifluous and melancholy tunes. More importantly, they fall in love and encourage each other to pursue their elusive dreams. Since it would be unfair to spoil any of the ensuing plot developments, suffice to say that Gosling and Stone are pure delight, whether warbling or just generating screen chemistry. A charm- ing crowd-pleaser that richly deserves all the superlatives it’s undoubtedly about to re- ceive over the course of the upcoming awards season! Excellent HHHH Rated PG-13 for profanity
