Elvis
Directed by Baz Luhrmann
Starring Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, and Olivia DeJonge
I don't think a lot of people know that one of my favorite singers is Elvis Presley. My mother had a good friend who was a huge Elvis fan, and I can't say for sure, but I think it might've rubbed off during the times she babysat me. During a family trip to Vegas we went to an Elvis impersonator show, and the Elvis museum. Then like most millennials, my biggest exposure to Elvis came from the 2002 animated classic, Lilo & Stitch.
My anticipation for Elvis was high but I was nervous because the last Baz Luhrmann film I saw left a bad taste in my mouth. Fortunately I walked away from Elvis as a (mostly) satisfied fan and moviegoer.
As one would expect, Elvis tells the story of...Elvis (Butler). The primary focus of the film is Presley's relationship with his longtime manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Hanks), who financially abused him for years. Other key points in the film are Elvis's influence by African-American music in Memphis, the public outcry against his on-stage demeanor, and his residency in Las Vegas.
It was an interesting choice on Luhrman's part to have the story focus on Presley and Parker's relationship, and have Parker act as the film's narrator. As much of a fan of Elvis I am, I never knew how contentious and abusive his relationship with his manager was. It's not the first time in a film where a music manager has been the villain (see Rocketman, Bohemian Rhapsody, A Star Is Born Wayne's World...Wayne's World 2...etc) but it lands differently here, because to some degree...the villain wins (The battle, but not the war. The general public remembers Elvis. Not the Colonel). There's an underlying tragedy to all the song and dance, which makes Elvis all the more impactful.
Like most biopics, Elvis does its best to cover its subject's entire life story, and as such the pacing ends up suffering. There are times when you definitely feel the two-hour and forty-minute runtime. It's also kind of disappointing when things like Elvis's unsuccessful film career, time in the army, and relationship with Priscilla are glossed over. However I can forgive those things since the main drive of the film is how the Colonel influenced the trajectory of his career, and those things might be smaller parts of the story it's trying to tell. Still, the film's pacing is very touch and go.
Austin Butler literally becomes Elvis. He nails the look, the personality, and even the singing. It goes way beyond an average Elvis impression. There's so much passion and energy. There are some emotional, dramatic moments that stand out strong in my memory, even stronger than the recreation of famous Elvis performances. We're only halfway through the year but he absolutely better be remembered when it's time cast votes for Oscar nominations. This is a career-defining role for Butler.
Tom Hanks is fine as Colonel Parker. It really is intriguing to see Hanks, who normally plays good guys, play someone so shady and despicable. It adds another level to the character, because the Colonel himself was very much a wolf in sheep's clothing. It's a compelling performance, but at times also comes off as an odd Colonel Sanders impression. That and the prosthetics on Hanks can be a bit distracting. Ultimately, you love to hate The Colonel, and that's what the film needed to get across to viewers.
Olivia DeJonge deserves some credit for her role as Priscilla Presley. In many ways, she's the heart and moral compass of Elvis, the person and the film. She has wonderful chemistry with Butler, and has a few good scenes, as I said earlier, sadly Elvis and Priscilla's relationship isn't given too much attention in the film, so she doesn't have a ton to do.
Ultimately, Baz's style of filmmaking works better for Elvis Presley than The Great Gatsby. Some filmmaking choices don't land well, and can be jarring and disorienting for the viewers. For the most part however, his knack for flashy visuals and spectacle work well to bring The King of Rock & Roll's story to the big screen.
My big gripe however, and it's a problem I had with Gatsby too, and that is Baz's desire to use modern music in his "period pieces". It's not as bad here as it was in Gatsby, because the film does use classic Elvis songs and even repurposes some of them for the score, but we don't need new remixes of Elvis's songs that use the Top 40 artists when we have the originals. This isn't a jukebox musical like Moulin Rogue, man. I will however, make an exception for Kasey Musgrave's cover of "Can't Help Falling In Love", and Butler's singing is almost indistinguishable from the original Elvis.
In the end, Elvis is an enjoyable biopic that pays proper tribute to one of the most influential singers of all time, that is also shaped by a career-defining performance from Austin Butler. Wether you are a fan of Elvis or not, I think you'll find something to enjoy here, and maybe walk away with a new appreciation of the man. Baz Luhrman has earned some good faith back from me. Time will tell but I think this film has a good chance of cracking my Top 10 for 2022.
I still have to write my Top 10 for 2021 though...
