The upcoming awards contender Jackie has been making its rounds at various film festivals and looks like a bright spot for film fans to be looking forward to. Oscar-winner Natalie Portman stars as the iconic First Lady, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, in a film depicting the days that followed her husband's assassination. Directed by Pablo Larrain (No, Neruda) and scripted by Noah Oppenheimer (The Maze Runner), the film is in line to be a worthwhile biopic, handled with care.
Jackie was originally set to be directed by Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), with Rachel Weisz in the lead role. Aronofsky is now in a producer's chair, while the lead has swapped one Oscar-winner for another. An initial teaser trailer allowed for some interesting looks that painted an intriguing picture of what to expect, without delving too far into the film at large. Now Fox Searchlight has released a second official full trailer, providing further context and a look at the many other actors involved in this film.
You can watch the new Jackie trailer above; then, read the film’s official synopsis below:
JACKIE is a searing and intimate portrait of one of the most important and tragic moments in American history, seen through the eyes of the iconic First Lady, then Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (Natalie Portman). JACKIE places us in her world during the days immediately following her husband's assassination. Known for her extraordinary dignity and poise, here we see a psychological portrait of the First Lady as she struggles to maintain her husband’s legacy and the world of "Camelot" that they created and loved so well.
As opposed to the attempt to deliver on previewing just the atmosphere and tone, this new trailer also allows us to see and hear many of the characters involved in the story, in addition to allowing for a broader sense of the film's look. To its credit, Jackie appears to have been wonderfully shot by cinematographer Stéphane Fontaine. Additionally, the film also stars Greta Gerwig, Peter Sarsgaard, John Carroll Lynch, Billy Crudup and John Hurt, among others.
An interesting aspect of this trailer is the amount of shots that sit close behind Jackie Kennedy's head. While there are obviously other looks at Portman's role, it communicates a sense of intimacy that will ideally play well. Given the number of biopics that are released during awards season, Larrain's direction (and this is his English-language debut) could allow for a film that breaks through on a level that feels different. Since Jackie has received its share of acclaim so far, one could only hope that thought is not too far off from the truth.
Source: Fox Searchlight
