In particular Vanier brings out the profound sadness
of Jesus as, through
fear and a closed mentality, people build up their own walls that destroy trust in him or put up their own barriers to shut out love: in his description
of the washing
of the feet, Vanier looks at
Peter who does not understand weakness until he is filled with the Holy Spirit, Judas who can not tolerate love and kindness, and John who eventually
abandons himself to Jesus and knows he is loved by him.
The film eventually
abandons the experiential horror
of the early scenes in favor
of agonizing over funeral plans, references to the King Arthur stories (the Broadway hit «Camelot» gets not one, but two airings), and one too many speeches about legacy, as Jackie works out her
fears and anxieties in conversation with a priest (John Hurt, exceptional), an anguished Bobby Kennedy (
Peter Sarsgaard), and a loyal confidante (Greta Gerwig).