Natalie Portman hasn't been on Oscar's radar since she danced her way to victory in the dark and demented Black Swan. But later this year, her performance in Jackie as Jacqueline Kennedy during the final days of Camelot -- including the assassination of her husband, and the difficult days that followed -- have her back in the Academy Award conversation, and after this debut trailer, we can understand why:
Jackie, as directed by Pablo Larrain, looks like a tone poem to the former First Lady during a horrific moment in U.S. history. We see images in this first trailer that have been burned into our collective memory, and yet, by witnessing them through the point-of-view of Jackie Kennedy, they have a fresh sense of personal horror. This camera pan over the Kennedy motorcade actually made me look away from the laptop, because I didn't want to see what was about to be revealed.
Now imagine recreating that moment for the benefit of a film?
The reviews out of the fall film festival circuit were outstanding for Jackie, with many of them praising Natalie Portman for what they consider a career-best performance.
Yes. Let's talk about that accent. Is it amazing? I can't tell, but I know that I'm marginally obsessed with the way Portman pronounces "Camelot" in the trailer. It seems to be different every time. Intentional? Campy? Awards worthy? Everything about this trailer fascinates.
It's hard to get a bead on the type of film that Jackie will be. The images don't support a traditional narration, and from everything that I am hearing, the movie often chooses to linger on the facial expressions of Natalie Portman so she can convey the emotions running through her difficult subject's head. At the very least, she looks mesmerizing, and it sounds like she carries the bulk of the film on her broad shoulders.
A new poster was released with the trailer:
Jackie will be in select theaters on December 2, and will roll out across the country in subsequent weeks. In addition to Portman, it stars Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig and Billy Crudup.
