Elvis (2022)

Dir. Baz Luhrmann | Biography, Drama, Music | PG-13

Recently, biopics about music icons have fallen short of audience expectations. Even though I'm a diehard Elvis Presley fan, I wasn't excited when I heard about the production of 'Elvis', and to be honest the trailer didn't quite catch my attention either. However, 'Elvis' was unique and much beyond my expectations!

Through a beautiful golden kaleidoscope, bringing Elvis back to life, Baz Luhrmann analyses Elvis' life.

Plot

"Fame and fortune, how empty they can be?"

From his early teenage fame years up to his Vegas residency, passing past the peak of his glory down to his career flop, "Elvis" recounts the biography of its titular character (played by Austin Butler).

Presley's fairytale marriage to Priscilla (Olivia DeJonge), his time in the military, and several other aspects of the King's life are narrated by Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), his manager and notorious financial abuser.

Acting Performances

As Elvis Presley and his dreaded manager Colonel Parker were the main focus of the film, Austin Butler and Tom Hanks handled the leading parts wonderfully. With his performance, Austin Butler completely shocked the audience by impressively bringing Elvis Presley back to life. Elvis Presley's impersonation is challenging; during his final years, Presley's life was a complete disaster, which made him hide behind a big pair of sunglasses and long hair, to the point that the audience was eventually unable to plainly see his face. However, Butler expertly portrayed the struggle, and the complete mess Elvis was going through.

Tom Hanks' performance in this film also shocked me. Colonel Parker completely obscured Tom Hanks as we

know him thanks to prosthetics, makeup, the Dutch accent, and high-pitched tone.

I wanted to reach into the screen and punch Tom Hanks in the face because of how well he captured Colonel Parker's rude and obnoxious behavior.

Visual Experience

Throughout the film, the glittering aura of Elvis Presley surrounds you. Beginning with the bejeweled and richly decorated Warner Bros logo, the opening frames are a tornado of headlines and split screens, with music ranging from rock'n'roll to classical majesty and screaming hip-hop.

The problem is that as the film progresses, you grow accustomed to these excessive cuts and visuals, and it starts to lose its magic since it feels like you're getting too much of a good thing. It eventually exhausted itself and turned into a sensory overload fiesta.

Soundtrack

You wouldn't expect a film about Elvis Presley to be bland and silent, but with noisy music, Baz Luhrmann enhanced the viewing experience. Combining various musical genres, switching from hip-hop to orchestral music, and fusing modern and classic musicians never stands to reason, yet Baz Luhrmann managed to make it so.

The addition of modern musicians such as Doja Cat, Eminem, and Britney Spears in a film focusing on one of the most important musical figures in American history may be upsetting and out of place to some viewers, but I thought this to be quite intriguing.

Some thoughts on the film

'Elvis' is a feature-length movie, not a documentary on Elvis Presley. Due to this, certain events may be exaggerated to the point where they seem fictitious.

Nevertheless, I like how Luhrmann handled the narrative from Colonel Parker's perspective. This movie was incredibly eye-opening for me as I was unaware of all the controversy surrounding the Colonel and his financial exploitation of Elvis Presley.

Moreover, Presley's style was critically influenced by black blues, rhythm-and-blues, and gospel music, which was also highlighted in the film. This was done not to criticize Presley for cultural appropriation but rather to praise his exquisite taste at a time when black music was prevented from having mainstream media exposure and frequently belittled as unethical and barbaric.

Wrapping Up

'Elvis' is a pretty enjoyable film to watch. However, as previously noted, some viewers could find the excessive usage of shimmering visuals annoying. The film's length may also tire some watchers, but I still heartily recommend it since it is unquestionably among the finest biopics I've watched in recent years.

Personal Rating: 7.5 out of 10