Trailer: Natalie Portman is the widowed First Lady in Jackie

The ‘Black Swan’ Oscar winner looks to be back in heart-stirring, potentially award-winning form as perhaps the most famous widow of the 20th century.

Natalie Portman takes the title role in ‘Jackie,’ a biopic following the First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the aftermath of her husband John F Kennedy’s death.

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JFK’s assassination remains one of the most notorious and controversial events in US history, but judging by the trailer above, ‘Jackie’ will centre first and foremost on how these events impacted the President’s widow.

‘Jackie’ is the English language debut of Chilean director Pablo Larraín, who has shot another biopic this year: ‘Neruda,’ based around the life of the Chilean poet, starring Luis Gnecco and Gael Garcia Bernal.

The official synopsis describes the film as 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).

“…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.”

The ‘Camelot’ theme is made apparent in the trailer, with its haunting use of the title song from the stage musical of the same name.

Written by Noah Oppenheim, ‘Jackie’ had been in the pipeline for some time, with Portman’s ‘Black Swan’ director Darren Aronofsky and his then-wife Rachel Weisz initially attached.

Following various film festival screenings including Venice, Toronto and New York, ‘Jackie’ has met with almost universal critical acclaim, currently sitting at a 95% rating at Rotten Tomatoes. It seems feasible Portman’s ‘Black Swan’ Oscar might not be lonely for long.

The supporting cast includes Peter Sarsgaard, Billy Crudup, Greta Gerwig, Richard E Grant and John Hurt.

On limited US release from 2 December, ‘Jackie’ does not have a confirmed UK release date at present.

Picture Credit: Fox Searchlight