Elvis

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Writer: Baz Luhrmann, Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce, Jeremy Doner

Starring: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Tomson, Richard Roxburgh, Kelvin Washington Jr., David Wenham, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Dacre Montgomery

Reason for watching: New Release/Summertime awards push

Number of times I’ve watched it: First time viewing

***

Have you ever hear someone say, “There were so many people there. I thought the Beatles were in town again.” Yeah, Elvis did that first. With the stories of screaming young women, his concerts are stuff of legends. Fanatics would rush the stage like he was Jesus and could heal with a touch. So famous was he that someone literally dropped 72 large at an auction to get a jar of the King’s hair. It does not stop there. Other fans get in bidding wars for his decades-old prescription bottles. It goes on and on and on. But who was Elvis Presley really?

Elvis follows the titular King of Rock ‘n’ Roll through his life and humble origins in the South to his final days. We see the various rises and falls of Presley’s (Austin Butler) career. Narrating the story is Presley’s manager Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), who hides his greedy nature behind a clever promoting talent. There are the initial scandals and backlash as a result of people hating his brand of music. Then the King spends time overseas in the Army where he meets his eventual wife and mother of his child Priscilla (Olivia DeJonge). His return to the USA brings him to Holywood, TV screens, and eventually a residency in Las Vegas. Through every step of the way is the Colonel, pushing Elvis and fighting back on every decision, all the while coat-riding the star. The two clash frequently over funds, career direction, and politics. While their relationship is rarely the focal point of a scene, it is the driving force behind almost every decision made here.

Going back to that myth of Elvis, this movie does an amazing job capturing the spectacle of Elvis-centric concerts and events. Seeing how Elvis could make his fans feel during these shows drives home just how popular and unique of a talent he was. People react so strongly to him with right-winged groups calling him a criminal and women going crazy at just the sight of him. But at the same time we get to see a conflicted side of Presley. On one hand, the man enjoyed the fame, travel, and money that his career brought him. Yet he often wanted to be more than just a pop icon, join a fight for social justice, and be a family man.

This all really speaks to the quality of Butler’s performance who manages to capture all these challenges in the 40 years of life he is depicting. Having to show all of that is a tall task to ask for. In addition, he performed a number of the songs in the movie with a striking similarity to the King’s classic voice. He also has a look to him that draws a comparison to Elvis, like a hometown boy but handsome too. While I have seen him in other things, this definitely seems like it could be a turning point in his career and help kickstart him to an outstanding career. Here is hoping that this can become a star-turning performance for Butler.

Hanks is not doing his best work, but he is not doing his worst either. But at this point, I admire that Hanks was willing to take on a more eccentric role. For most of his time as a superstar in Hollywood Hank’s work seemed pretty similar and safe. Yes Forrest Gump and Castaway allowed him some creative freedom, but he was doing his usual work as America’s dad and keeping us interested/entertained. But here it really feels like he has gone all out. There’s an eccentric accent, a fatsuit, and some unique costumes to put on as well. Those are all hallmarks of what should be an awards performance too. While I am not expecting it for him as he is not the main attraction or best performance here, it would still be welcome.

A few other positive elements are the beautiful costumes and sense of drama throughout. The characters are well dressed and look very dapper in these old-timey outfits. Also that sense of drama this movie is able to maintain as we follow Elvis’ life is impressive considering we all know exactly how he died. To be honest though, I was hoping we could get some mention of Presley still kicking and living in the Bahamas. But that would have been a crazy ending for this serious movie.

8/10

Until I see another one.