REVIEW #193 Elvis (2022)

This biopic follows Elvis Presley as he transcends from a local country blues singer from Memphis to Rock n Roll legend who took the world by storm with his unique sound and iconic moves. Exploring the complicated and exploitative relationship between him and his manager Colonel Tom Parker. 

The latest biopic to take the world by storm tells the ultimately sad tale of Elvis Presleys life and how his exploitation by his manager and his struggles with drugs lead to the icons death. I want to kick things off by mentioning just how good Austin Butler is, I’m glad he’s finally rising to the top end of the actor circuit because he definitely deserves it. Austin seemed to nail both the highs and the lows of Presley’s life and his voice and movement was the perfect representation of Elvis himself! I’ve never heard, nor seen any footage of Colonel Tom Parker so I can’t really comment on how well Tom Hanks portrayed the character. It was certainly an eccentric performance, a little weird at times but nonetheless there is no denying that he portrayed the calculated and vindictive nature of his character pretty well at least. It also looked like himself and Austin had great chemistry to bring that relationship to life in an authentic way. The overall aesthetic and editing techniques felt quite unique, a typical Baz Luhrmann production and that helped separate it from films of a similar nature. What I will say is some of the green screen, in fact a lot of the green screen looked pretty questionable, the film certainly worked better when it used real sets. I must admit that after watching the film I now feel quite naive to Elvis’s story, of course I knew who he was and I loved his songs but his upbringing and his influences I was pretty unaware of. I think they portrayed his love for blues music and the inspiration he took from his time spent in Beale street, wonderfully! The very core of the movie was his love for music and that was what created an emotional rollercoaster for the full 2 hour 39 minute run time. Whether it was him standing up for his culture and friends at the start of the film, or how despite barely being able to stand, always delivering a show for the audience at the end of the film, it always evoked an emotional reaction. The film certainly wasn’t a masterpiece, it has faults but Austin’s performance combined with that emotional core means it’s a really enjoyable film and I would definitely recommend it! A nice addition to the musical biopic genre for sure. 

Overall (7.8/10)

Thanks for reading.

Callan