Elvis Review – Yet Another Biopic Masterpiece
“You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. More than anything, you’ll want to be up dancing.”
Everyone knows the usual things associated with Elvis Presley. The hair. His dance moves. Graceland. The outfits. The list goes on. But never before has his legacy been honoured as it has in this film from Baz Luhrmann. The energetic director brings us the story of Presley’s upbringing and life of stardom, whilst pairing it with his treacherous relationship with manager Colonel Tom Parker. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. More than anything, you’ll want to be up dancing.
Actor Austin Butler may not be a name that most moviegoers are overly familiar with, though the actor does hold some good credits in his filmography. However, this is a true “out of nowhere” story. Butler is holding no punches with his portrayal of Presley. He absolutely kills it. The transition of Elvis’ voice and accent over the decades. His dance moves. The mannerism. He works it all perfectly.
Tom Hanks gives us a rare antagonistic role, and he shines in it. It’s almost scary seeing Hanks just playing a villain in general. Parker pretty much acts as the co-lead character of the story, and he and Butler bounce off each other very well. Luhrmann then brings in his Moulin Rouge actor Richard Roxburgh to portray Presley’s father, with Helen Thompson as his mother. Both add a new layer to Elvis’ story, mostly leaning into heartache. Australian actress Olivia DeJonge also steps into the role of Priscilla Presley for the film. Though we don’t get a great feel of Priscilla from her portrayal, and she doesn’t look the part all that much, it’s still a solid performance all in all.
The story from Luhrmann and The Killing‘s Jeremy Doner helps to perfectly highlight what made Elvis the man he was. The star’s roots. His upbringing. His relationships. They helped to make him the musician he became, and this film doesn’t shy away from showing it all. It’s great to go so deep into all of his inspirations full throttle. As alluded to, the plot leans very heavily into Presley and Parker’s relationship. But thankfully, that doesn’t completely overshadow the fact that this is an all out Elvis Presley biopic. Parker’s involvement with the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll lines up with us being able to see some of the biggest moments in his life whilst also being able to see get a peek at some of those quieter moments.
More importantly, the story of this biopic also offers up something that most people may not have been aware of, which is the big appeal with this genre really. We learn more about the horrendous treatment Elvis suffered from his manager. The manipulation and being worked like a mule night after night. We ultimately get the story that helps us to understand why so much went downhill for the world renowned performer. His relationships. Finances. The poor health he found himself in. It all roots from The Colonel. It’s the sad story behind one of the world’s most electrifying artists.
The only criticism here is how long it is before we get Butler’s Elvis front and centre of the story. We focus a bit more on Parker to begin with before heading over to Presley’s story at centre stage. But thankfully, from there on it really is what’s been advertised.
Considering the film’s runtime clocks in at just under three hours, this is paced so well. Luhrmann has made sure to have something impactful happen consistently to keep viewers’ eyes glued. Ironically, it’s also a real dance number in how it can have your emotions moving in different ways throughout. One minute you can be up and jiving. The next you can be slumped in your chair wiping away a tear. It’s a real skill to be able to move a story around like this so effectively.
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We can’t not shine a spotlight a little more on the director of the piece. Bad Luhrmann is known for his wild, eccentric, energy-filled movie qualities, and this film has his finger prints all over it. The zany cutting and camera angling is not only a director trademark, but also happens to nod to Presley’s quick dancing and *cough* thrusting, if you’ll excuse the term. The era-appropriate music being blended with more contemporary sounds of the 21st century, which is something he did in 2013’s The Great Gatsby adaptation. You truly know when you’re watching a film that’s had Luhrmann at the helm, and none is more in his ilk than this outing.
When it comes to our musical score from Elliott Wheeler, there’s no better description than “top notch”. We’re getting great alludes and renditions of Elvis’ greatest hits and the music that was instrumental in his career. We’ve just said when referring to Luhrmann, the use of blending music from two completely different eras should be almost like nails on a chalkboard, but it’s done so delicately you could say. The precision behind how they mix is amazing. It’s interesting and does well for a film being released in 2022 that takes us from the 1950s through to the ‘70s.
This film acts as a real salute to Elvis’ unique music style and lifestyle. Not only does it give us a peek behind the curtain of the man’s private goings on and his inspirations, but also unearths the story of his manager that many probably aren’t aware of. It’s almost terrifying to only be finding out this darker side of Presley’s career. In his memory, this film tells us the truths we should know about his life. Good or bad.
Overall, what a film. The main cast carries the plot effortlessly. I smell award buzz for this one. Maybe not wins, but definitely buzz. The plot does the relationship of not only Presley and Parker justice, but also his family, wife and close confidants. Yes, the opening maybe doesn’t need to be what it is and there’s some casting elements that could have been better, but we don’t bludgeon the film for that. Like every biopic, we dig into those darker tones of stardom, and what we uncover isn’t pretty, but it gives justice to one of music’s greatest acolytes. You want to enjoy Elvis’ rhythm whilst learning all things about the man himself? This is a film you need to see.
It deserves a high score. It’s a 8.7/10 from us.
Elvis is currently showing in cinemas.