Elvis - A Movie Review

Thank you, thank you very much. Elvis has left the building.

Elvis is a 2022 biopic about the famous rock and roll musician. Beginning with his childhood in Memphis, Tennessee, Elvis Presley is brought up in the music world. Promised a lively career by his manager Colonel Tom Parker, the singer becomes the most famous rock star of his time.

Without a doubt, I proclaim Elvis to be the best film I have seen so far this year. In this mesmerizing picture, Elvis is a phenomenally directed film, portraying Elvis’s personality and reflection of his dedicated music career. My one complaint is the perspective chosen for the film.

I swear that I was watching the real Elvis Presley onscreen. Austin Butler’s dedicated enactment as Elvis was the performance of a lifetime. Butler was a sensation. Paying his deepest respects, Butler conducted an excellent music performance. He replicated all of Elvis’s signature dance moves down to the last beat.

I like how he found connections to his own true life and Elvis’s to make a genuine portrayal. By the end of the shoot, Butler was so exhausted from making the film that he was sent to the hospital for rest. I’d give Butler an Oscar right now for an incredible performance.

Tom Hanks has endured mixed feedback for his performance. While I do agree that he was cartoonish and corny, slipping in his strange accent, this is a role that we’ve never seen Hanks in. Whether it was due to poor direction or his own acting choices, in my opinion, this is a step out from the usual good and heartwarming man that we’ve seen.

For some reason, Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis’s manager was the center of focus. Narrating the story, I’m not sure why he was the main focus. He took away from Elvis’s biography.

The acting is brilliant in Elvis. Chemistry was on point with all the actors. Olivia DeJonge was excellent as Priscilla Presley. In her brief role, Helen Thomas was endearing as Gladys, Elvis’s mother. I adored the relationship between Elvis and his mother.

Other credits include the amazing talents of Richard Roxburgh, Kelvin Harrison Jr., David Wenham, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Luke Bracey, Dacre Montogomery, and more. It also includes the film debut of Chaydon Jay as Elvis as a kid. An ensemble of women had a ball fangirling during Elvis’s concert.

Baz Luhrmann’s concentration and dedication is beautifully accomplished in every frame of Elvis. As noted by Priscilla Presley, he told it brilliantly and creatively. Elvis is a gorgeous film to look at. The film is overloaded with visuals and creative edits. I felt like I was at an Elvis concert.

Elvis didn’t have an easy production. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, production was stopped for six months. The wait helped the film take time to evolve into a masterpiece.

One of the best parts of the film is the positive reaction from Priscilla Presley, Elvis’s widow. Priscilla gave her blessing to Elvis. She and Lisa Marie Presley were moved by the final product, raving about Butler’s incredible performance.

Elvis left me in awe. As soon as the film ended, I sat in my seat, completely blown away, uttering, ‘wow’. I wasn’t alone there. This is a powerful biography of a musician who touched several hearts.

For anyone who doesn’t know Elvis or has heard only one Elvis song, this film perfectly defines who this man was. My late aunt was an Elvis enthusiast. I felt her spirit in the theater. That made my viewing worthwhile.

You need to see Elvis in theaters. It is a spectacular experience that I‘ll never forget.