A few days ago, the Academy announced their nominations for this year’s Oscar ceremony and of course La La Land was the big winner with 14 nominations, followed by Arrival and Moonlight with eight nominations each. All of them were nominated in the category Best Picture but what a shame Jackie wasn’t. The new Pablo Larraín (Neruda, No) film would really have fit in that category because combination of Larraín his ideas, the history and the fabulous acting from Natalie Portman is just stunning.

If there’s one date we all know, then it’s without a doubt 22/11/1963, the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. The whole country grieved about their 35^th president of America and so was his wife Jacqueline ‘Jackie’ Kennedy. Jackie is not about the last hours of JFK or the planning of his assassination. No, it’s all about Jackie as a wife, mother, First Lady but also as an amazing inspiring and independent woman.

Do you want to see the “classic” Hollywood movie, showing moments before, during and after the death of JFK, then don’t go and see Jackie. But if you want to be surprised by an amazing movie, very close to reality, then buy a ticket and see Natalie Portman shine.

Larraín decided to create one long interview between Jackie (Portman) and journalist Theodore H. White by using own made footage as well as already existing footage. Because of that you’ll get a lot of information but Jackie will never become just a boring movie full of facts without any story. There’s emotion, a lot of emotions but not over-the-top emotions. And if all of this I not enough, you’ll get to see a stunning cast which includes, apart from Natalie Portman, Richard E. Grant, Peter Sarsgaard and the late John Hurt (who left us with a superb performance).

One thing that we won’t forget from Jackie, is Natalie Portman as Jackie. She doesn’t play Jackie, she just IS Jackie. We still don’t know how many hours her hair and makeup department needed to transform but they absolutely nailed her appearance. Just combine the look and Portman’s impeccable accent and Jackie is born.

So why should you go and check out Jackie? Well first of all when you make a biopic, just like this one, history should come first instead of own ideas and that something that Larraín understood very well. He adapted his ideas to the history and not the other way around. He combines that with raw emotions, and outstanding cast and the magnificent cinematography from Stéphane Fontaine (Elle, Captain Fantastic). You notice it; you have absolutely no reason not to buy a ticket for Jackie.

Liselotte