The life story of Elvis Presley as seen through the complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
Released: 2022-06-22
Runtime: 159 minutes
Genre: Drama, History, Music
Stars: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Dacre Montgomery, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Richard Roxburgh, Helen Thomson, Yola, David Wenham, Luke Bracey, Alex Radu, Alton Mason, Xavier Samuel, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Natasha Bassett, Leon Ford, Kate Mulvany, Gareth Davies, Charles Grounds, Josh McConville, Adam Dunn, Gary Clark Jr., Shonka Dukureh, Charles Andre Allen, Chaydon Jay, Tony Nixon, Christian McCarty, Cle Morgan, Greg Powell, Anthony LaPaglia, Mike Bingaman, Elvis Presley, Priscilla Presley, Vernon Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Martin Luther King Jr., Walter Cronkite, Robert F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Charles Manson, Frank Sinatra, John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Comments
owenjmiddleton - 18 June 2024 The king I have always been a fan of elvis Presley music from when I was young my favourite song from him being blue sued shoes so I was very excited to hear they were making a movie about him, and his life I went in with some reservations having not heard of Austin butler before but as it happened he did a magnificent job in the lead role he and Tom hanks (Tom hanks playing the role of colonel Tom Parker) took me on a wild and emotional ride truly an emotional rollercoaster that was really well written and produced I genuinely saw this film four times and loved it each time if you haven't seen it yet then you should.
herrcarter-92161 - 16 April 2024 Amazing Biopic Biopics about famous singers seem to be the trend right now, highighting such icons as Elton John and Freddy Mercury. The movie "Elvis" leads this pack of fine, substantive movies. It's simply an amazing film that effortlessly transports you into the life and times of Elvis Presley, letting you experience the astronomical highs and abysmal lows of the greatest pop star of all time. The period details, from the clothes to the sets to the cars, were spot on. You really felt like you were experiencing the Southern US in the 1950's, as well as other locations, such as Las Vegas in the 1970's, which is quite a feat, given that this film was shot in Australia. It was a good-looking film, with excellent cinematography. The mood of the film was spot-on also, enhanced especially by the music of the black singers.
Of course, the best aspect of this film was the stellar performances of the cast. Austin Butler was spot-on in his portrayal of The King. His performance was passion-filled, and his voice and mannerisms were perfect. Plus, he can actually sing! Looking at his previous work on IMDb, it appears that most of his career was spent acting in a series of forgettable teen sitcoms. Glad they brought him out of obscurity, so we could see what he was capable of. No less great was the performance of the immortal Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis' odious manager. It takes a lot to give a convincing performance as a villain without making him a caricature, and Hanks absolutely nailed it. The other supporting actors were great, too. All were realistic and believable, especially Elvis' mother and his wife Priscilla.
If I had to complain about anything, it would be that the movie was a tad too long. Also, I think his relationship with Priscilla was really given short shrift. I wish they'd spent more screen time on that. By the way, the film depicts Elvis cheating on Priscilla, but she actually cheated on him too. That detail never made it into the film, probably because she and the rest of Elvis' family were heavily involved in this production. The tone of the movie was pretty dark. Sure, Elvis had a messed up life, as we all know, but I wish they had included more of the lighter moments of his life as well. Director Baz Luhrmann apparently took some liberties with the facts when making this movie, but on the whole, it seems to be a pretty accurate, if somewhat negative, take on Presley's life.
Other than his last few hits, I never experienced the mania of Elvis Presley in my personal life, but I got a good taste of it from this movie. Even if you aren't a Presley fan -- even if you'd never even heard of him before -- you can't help but be moved by this film. I'd definitely put it in the "must see" category.