Elvis Presley truly was the king of rock and roll, and his first high-profile biopic brings all his energy forward in an electrifying movie. It will leave fans both amazed and exhausted, led by a star-making performance so good it will have you saying, "Thank you - thank you very much."
Stylized director Baz Luhrmann (best known for 2001’s Moulin Rouge!) returns almost a decade after his last movie, and his love of abundance on camera has never met a more suitable subject than Elvis.
The production design is predictably glamorous, but the best part is how Luhrmann has ordered the story. The events of Presley’s life are told chronologically, but editing with repeating flashbacks to connect moments in history that influenced Elvis’ critical career decisions and musical stylings.
That move is singularly genius, and it helps the audience connect the dots that would’ve otherwise gone over our heads. It’s especially important to the film’s major relationship between Elvis (Austin Butler) and his abusive manager Col. Tom Parker (Tom Hanks) over 25 years.
Butler’s portrayal of Elvis is show-stopping. There are no words that would do justice for how compelling and convincing Butler’s mannerisms, voice, and behaviour is on screen. My viewing companion said several times, “it feels like I’m watching a documentary.”
Several high-profile biopics in the last five years have all featured great lead performances, notably in Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman. Butler’s Elvis tops them all - both on and off stage, he moves and touches audiences through the camera.
Olivia DeJonge plays opposite Butler with great skill as his wife Priscilla, and while no member of the ensemble stands out as weak, it’s surprising how often Hollywood legend Hanks lets himself be overshadowed in his fat suit and strange, campy character choices.
Luhrmann, however, is no stranger to strangeness. There are some weird hallmarks that appear dozens of times through the film. One is the overuse of the word “wiggle” or “wigglin”, which seemingly comes up every five minutes. Another is the bombardment of close-up shots on Butler as he’s sweating like you didn’t know a man could sweat.
Part of this is to show the aggression and demanding nature both of Elvis’ work on stage and the impact of his drug abuse (both his and what he was subjected to.) But these flashes of oddity are a distant second to the energetic excellence that doesn’t let up for the entire run time.
Elvis is a bit too long, though it’s so ravenously entertaining it almost doesn’t matter. Major scenes like the Christmas special taping and Elvis’ first night at the International Hotel are so life-like and soul-stirring it looks like Elvis is coming off the screen and right into the cinema.
At that point, Elvis has truly left the building and instead re-entered the hearts of movie-going fans. Elvis’ music and Butler’s performance are so good they both somehow make that possible.
Elvis
8 out of 10
PG, 2hrs 39mins. Music History Biography Epic.
Co-Written and Directed by Baz Luhrmann.
Starring Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Richard Roxburgh, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Helen Thomson.
Now Playing at Film.Ca Cinemas, 5 Drive-In, Cineplex Winston Churchill and Cineplex Oakville & VIP. Also in IMAX.
