Hollywood has had an uneven track record in bringing the lives of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to the silver screen, particularly in terms of balancing realism and drama with artistic flare. For every hit, such as the woefully underappreciated Thirteen Days, there’s a JFK (that’s right, you read correctly).
That’s why it’s particularly heartening that a director of the caliber of Pablo Larrain–who has proven his spot-on artistic sensibilities with such films as The Club and Neruda–has partnered with Natalie Portman to bring what proves to be a powerful biopic centering around the lord and lady of America’s Camelot. Jackie, which will debut at the Toronto International Film Festival later this month, focuses on Portman as the First Lady during the first few days following her husband’s assassination.
While Jackie doesn’t have a distribution deal for viewings in the United States yet, hopefully that’ll change in the coming months. Because if this first clip is any indication of what to expect from the rest of the film, Larrain and Portman have produced a tale that will not only hold up among other Kennedy retellings, but will earn a place in the pantheon of biopics such as American Splendor, Malcolm X, and Walk the Line.
Jackie, starring Natalie Portman as First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and directed by Pablo Larrain, just premiered at the Venice Festival and will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival later this month.
Also be sure to check out these stills from the movie, featuring other members of the all-star cast:
