Elvis

Elvis (2022)

Directed by Baz Luhrmann

Story by Baz Luhrmann and Jeremy Doner

Screenplay by Baz Luhrmann & Sam Bromell and Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner 

Stars: Tom Hanks, Austin Butler, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, Luke Bracey, Dacre Montgomery, Leon Ford,  David Wenham, and Kodi Smit-McPhee

There was some trepidation going into this movie. I have seen people shower praise at this movie right and left. Usually when this happens, I would hate the movie. My suspicions were correct. 

Elvis's (Butler) life is recounted through the lengthy monologuing coming from Svengali-- Charlatan-- Con Man-- I mean, Elvis's "manager", Colonel Tom Parker (Hanks) as he is slowing dying that January night in 1997.

This movie is the classic "all style, no substance." I look at the movie and see a lot of money has been put into the look of the film; the production design, costumes, the music. etc. It feels that I did not learn anything new about Elvis or his life.

Luhrmann touted that this movie is not a biopic. It has the making of a typical Hollywood biopic, but it's a skewed view of Elvis dictated by Parker's narration. It glossed over Elvis's time in the military service or his Hollywood acting career. For a movie that over 2 1/2 hours long, I got the surface level of Elvis.

The biggest problems of the movie are the "Dutch?" accent that Tom Hanks had to do for Parker. The prosthetics didn't do him any favors. It was like watching a goblin waddle around. The editing was a mess.  It didn't help with getting into the mood of the movie these quick cuts, zooms and dissolving shots. There were some hip-hop songs in this. I had to pause. If it was jukebox musical like Moulin Rouge! then I would understand. This had mostly Elvis's songs and some other blues/gospel/rock/country music from Lil' Richard, BB King or Mahalia Jackson.

Austin Butler is getting some Oscar buzz for his performance. I liked him in the movie. It feels like he is carrying an albatross, trying not to drown in a mess of movie. I don't see it happens for him. He might be a dark horse nomination for now.

If the film was structured better without having Parker as the co-lead of the movie, I would have like the film more. It should have been called, "Elvis's Manager" or "Legs."

Rating: 4/10