Elvis
I grew up listening to Elvis music (and other "oldies"), often finding my old soul far behind my peers. Color me surprised when I walked into the theater and there were a fair number of young people there. I found a seat next to a group of friends eagerly chatting before the movie. "Austin Butler is blonde so this dark hair is totally not real." "Remember him when he was on Hannah Montana?" And I thought to myself, "No, I do not remember him on Hannah Montana. I am a hundred years old."
It took me a moment to adjust to watching "Elvis." Baz Luhrmann directs this latest look at the King's life in a wildly stylized fashion. He constantly crosscuts between scenes strung through with flashy visual effects and flashbacks. It's not usually my thing, but here, it works and sells the blur of show business.
I really did like Hannah Montana as a kid, but whatever memory might have existed of Austin Butler guest-starring on it has certainly disappeared thanks to his strong turn as the movie's namesake. Often I fear highly stylized movies overpower performances, but Butler thrives in this setting where the almost manic nature of the edit supports and enhances his portrayal.
Tom Hanks' "Colonel Parker," on the other hand, does not fit so naturally into the film. Somehow, even in this more meditative-than-historical movie, Hanks' portrayal comes off as a caricature. Most certainly Parker was a bad player in Elvis' life, but it's hard to take him seriously here. Tom Hanks is not a villain, which isn’t to say that type of subversive casting couldn’t work. I’m tempted to buy the idea of an actor who’s built his career on charming roles reveal a psychopathic streak and to be fair, there are moments where the weird affects and voice take your guard down enough to lead you to believe that perhaps Parker is not so dangerous, but it never lands long enough to capture Parker's slimy nature.
Frankly, I wish the film leaned more into Butler's performance than Hanks'. No disrespect to Tom Hanks, but it feels like either the creators wanted to tell more of Parker's story (which seems a disservice to Elvis) or they were unsure of Butler's ability to carry a film. They should have gambled on Butler; not only would it have grounded the emotional journey of the movie, but it would have made a movie about Elvis feel more about Elvis.
Olivia DeJonge plays Priscilla Presley as the sensitive, devoted wife, plagued by the myth of Elvis as much as Elvis himself. The scenes between her and Butler are sweet and moving, but I wish we got to see more of her. DeJonge plays her well, but the script doesn't delve quite deep enough to really let us see who Priscilla was.
I'm not certain how much of the film is true, but it doesn't appear that Luhrmann intended to do a shot-for-shot remake of Elvis' real life.
I'm not certain how much of the film is true, but it doesn't appear that Luhrmann intended to do a shot-for-shot remake of Elvis' real life. The movie goes to great lengths to convince you that, if only it hadn't been for Parker, Elvis' story wouldn't have ended the way it did. Perhaps that's true, but in neglecting to share a both-sides-of-the-coin story with all the characters in Elvis' life, from Parker to Priscilla to the King himself, it comes off as more wishful thinking than anything.
Nonetheless, my heart hurts. There's a scene I can't shake where an exhausted Elvis collapses backstage before a show and they dunk his face in a bucket of ice water. "The most important thing is that man gets on stage tonight," Colonel Parker says. Elvis glances up toward his dad who asks his doctor, "isn't there something you can give him?" And there is. The doctor pulls out a syringe and gets him on stage. The most important thing.
I had no idea. I knew Elvis had died much too young and I knew he was going downhill when it happened. But to watch it play out was painful. Even if I fear I can't always rely on its historical accuracy, I am grateful for the chance to come to a better understanding of the man I had never known as more than a legend. Five dollars well spent.
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