Historical movies are hard for history lovers to watch, especially if you are a fan of presidential history. “Jackie,” directed by Pablo Larrain, wants to be as authentic as possible, and in most cases, it’s very good in that respect.

The story follows Mrs. Kennedy in the days following the assassination of her husband, President John F. Kennedy, with flashbacks to the day of his shooting and also of her famous televised White House tour. There are many good moments with lots of actual footage interwoven into the movie.

Natalie Portman plays Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy with the same gate, demeanor and aura that are immediately recognizable if you are a Kennedy fan. At times, Portman’s accent and that breathy almost robotic-like dialogue is grating. Indeed, Portman seems to have researched the heck out of the former First Lady. Her performance seems very studied and precise, yet she ends up looking scared and on edge throughout the movie. She has more good moments than those I criticize and I’m sure there will be plenty of award season buzz for her this year.

Supporting performances are less than memorable, especially Peter Saarsgaard as Robert Kennedy. Even lower budget movies about the Kennedys attempt to get someone who looks like they came from the family. Saarsgard lacks the looks, accent and looks a good 10 years older than the president, his much older brother.  Still, the supporting players do the best they can and the movie ends up being pretty good. I liked John Hurt’s cameo as the priest.

Yes, you should see it, but don’t spend money to go to the theater. My grade: B-

“Jackie” is directed by Pablo Larrain and stars Natalie Portman, Peter Saarsgard, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup and John Hurt.

Rated R for graphic gun violence.

Running time is 1 hour and 39 minutes.