Elvis Aaron Presley was not only one of the greatest musicians in history but also a worldwide pop culture icon. Often nicknamed “The King of Rock and Roll,” Elvis sold over 500 million copies worldwide and won three Grammy awards. Sadly, prescription drug abuse and poor eating habits led to his untimely death in 1977 at 42. Two years after Elvis’ death, John Carpenter directed a made-for-TV movie about his life with Kurt Russell in the lead. In April 2014, Warner Bros announced that they had entered negotiations with filmmaker Baz Luhrmann for a new biopic. In 2019, the studio cast Tom Hanks to play Colonel Tom Parker, and Austin Butler got the lead role. Filming began in January 2020 in Australia but stalled when Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson tested positive for COVID-19. Despite some other delays, Elvis finally hit the big screen in June 2022.
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Synopsis
While on his deathbed in 1997, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks) recounts how he discovered Elvis Presley (Austin Butler). In his early years, Parker was a huckster who worked at carnivals managing country singer Hank Snow (David Wenham). One day, he heard Elvis on the radio and was so impressed that he convinced Elvis to hire him. At first, things are going great for the budding rock star, but his music catches the ire of conservatives. Many parents and politicians see his music as a tool of Satan, corrupting the youth and promoting integration. Parker convinces the government to enlist Elvis into the army to try and clean up his act. While overseas, Elvis falls in love with Priscilla Beaulieu (Olivia DeJonge) and marries her once he returns home. But as Elvis’ career keeps growing, signs point to Parker having more control over him than once thought.
Review
Even if you’re not a massive fan of his music, you can’t deny Elvis Presley’s impact on pop culture. With this new movie, Baz Luhrmann deconstructs the myth and shows more of the human side of this rock star. Much like Rocketman, you see Elvis at his best and worst moments, and it’s just as raw and hard-hitting. Austin Butler does a fantastic job portraying the legendary rock star, bringing a lot of humanity to the role. After a while, you forget that it’s an actor and believe Elvis himself is in the movie. Tom Hanks also does a great job as Colonel Parker, coming off as manipulative and two-faced while also seeming innocent. Given his unique theatrical style, Luhrmann was the perfect choice to tell Elvis’ story and match his elegance. He captures the period’s look nearly perfectly without going too overboard.
Admittedly, how they tell the story can be scattered and disorganized as it switches between Parker and Presley. The point is to show the events from two different perspectives, but it can sometimes be confusing to follow along. While Olive DeJonge is good as Elvis’ wife, she’s introduced roughly halfway into the film and doesn’t do much. The same applies to many of the other side characters, who just come and go at a moment’s notice. Also, at two hours and thirty-nine minutes in length, parts of the movie seem to drag out longer than they should. Then again, the film has a fast-enough pace that you’re never bored and there’s always something happening. Even if the movie’s slightly disjointed, it’s still an excellent deconstruction of an icon that deals with manipulation and greed. Overall, Elvis is a stylish film with great performances that fans and non-fans can enjoy.
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