Elvis (2022)
An entertaining and nuanced biopic about the king of rock and roll.
Laura’s Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Plot: The film follows the rise of Elvis’s career from teen idol to singing star, actor, and legendary performer.
Analysis: I really enjoy director Baz Luhrmann’s over-the-top style, which I think perfectly complements the glitz and glam associated with Elvis and his performances. Luhrmann’s signature of mashing new and old songs also made the movie feel fresh and interesting.
Austin Butler’s performance was top notch and the rest of the cast delivered good performances as well. Butler even received an Oscar nomination for best actor, along with a best picture nomination for the film.
I really like how the movie featured the black music and black artists that had such an influence on Elvis’s career. It also highlighted the differences between the success of black performers and a white man like Elvis performing similar music. It was interesting to see the ways that Elvis defied the racial segregation of the day, both uniting and dividing people.
Elvis’s career spanned many years and so I felt like some things were glazed over, but it would be difficult to highlight every aspect of his life in one movie. I did like that Elvis’s career is shown against the backdrop of turmoil facing the country, first with him getting drafted into WWII, and later with the assassinations of MLK Jr. and Bobby Kennedy and even the Sharon Tate murder.
Telling the story through the lens of Elvis’s controversial manager, Colonel Tom Parker, was an interesting perspective. Different visions of success led to disagreements and tension between the two. In some ways, Elvis did owe much of his success to the Colonel. However, Parker certainly had his own motivations and took advantage of Elvis, his family, and his finances.
I can’t speak to the accuracy of the film, but I did really enjoy it. The music is, of course, great. The sets and costumes are terrific. And the rich history and context provided as a backdrop to Elvis’s career round out the film nicely. The impact of Elvis’s career is obvious and the film shows the full picture of the life of an American cultural icon. I’d recommend the movie.
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