Movie Review: Elvis

 

Elvis 

Starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks

I have been an Elvis fan since I was a kid. A few school presentations and papers about Elvis, I think I researched his life pretty thoroughly. I've seen plenty of biographical films about him which some weren't bad compared to others. I, however, was not a fan when I heard about this project but then I thought, let me give it a chance. It's gotten rave reviews even from the Presley family however I will disagree wholeheartedly. I am quite disgusted from this film and don't feel it was about Elvis at all. Instead I watched two hours of a story told from the eyes of a butt hurt "Colonel" who didn't want to be seen as a villian. I will say that Austin Butler did do a great job but I feel Tom Hanks did a great job too; after all, it wasn't the acting that bothered me. Brace yourself because I'm diving in with both feet. 

If you are going to make a biographical motion picture of an entertainer, you need to 1) stick to the facts and 2) truly embraces the entertainer and man he was. Baz Luhrmann did none of that. A major mistake was the development of Elvis Presley Enterprises. Colonel Parker did NOT develop EPE, in fact it was created after Elvis's death, not in the 1950s as the film suggests. Elvis is portrayed as a puppet on a string and the Colonel was the puppeteer. What worked for Baz's Romeo & Juliet did not work with Elvis, cinematography wise. The dizzying zoom ins, spinning and exploration into Parker's memories through his eye ball was uncalled for. Another thing that was uncalled for was fabricating events that did not happen such as the choice to enlist in the military or go to jail. Elvis was drafted into the army and in fact, I believe it was negotiated to put off his deployment until he finished "King Creole," which was granted. Another was the ridiculous montage of Elvis and Priscilla like he starred in his own movie. It was ridiculous and made a circus out of his life. The final insult was the scene where "Elvis" is in Vegas and starts a spectacle onstage in front of his fans, firing the Colonel. First, every concert footage I've seen, even the footage from his final concert, shows a man, oh I'm sorry, A MAN being professional and doing what he loves doing. 

I'm also wondering where Vernon got his "purty lil' mustache because I have not seen any pictures of Vernon looking like a mafia king with his "purty lil' mustache." I am in disbelief over the praise this film has received. It is trash...trash...trash. Of all I've read and watched about Elvis, I have never recollected that he was nothing more than an object of wealth. Elvis died at 42 which means since his death, we have had to take the word of those who supposedly knew him that he was who they say he was. I, obviously, have never known him, his family, his friends, or anyone affiliated with him, however seeing this film has not changed my love and admiration for his music and him. I ask you not to see this film for it is a disgrace to his legacy and the man he was. Since his death, Elvis has become more of a persona than a man. He has become an entity that we can say anything about because he's not here to defend himself. Elvis is more than a persona or character (like the one who marries couples in Vegas), he is first and foremost a man who made a significant impact in the music industry, who had flaws (who doesn't), and honestly, I truly believe like all of us, just wanted to be loved and happy. 

I add caution to those who have not seen this yet. Please, see it for what it really is. Elvis deserves better than this and in my opinion, if you'd like to see a great biographical film about Elvis, you should see the miniseries which stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis. He did a wonderful job.