Review: Baz Luhrmann’s ELVIS is a Beautifully Made Film with a Stunning Performance by Austin Butler
I’m a huge fan of Elvis Presley. I was raised on his incredible music and I always wondered when we would see a movie get made about his life. When director Baz Luhrmann announced that he was developing that film, I was curious to see how he would tell Elvis’ story, especially with his wild and energetic filmmaking style. Then the trailers started coming out for Elvis and they got me super excited about watching the film, and I’m happy to say that Luhrmann has made something unique and special, and I absolutely loved the movie he made.
The life of Elvis is a fascinating and tragic story, and Luhrmann told that story in the most beautiful way. I love the wild energy that he brought to the film and the liveliness that he brought to it, especially with all the wonderful musical numbers. It’s hard to imagine what the life of Elvis must have been like, but now that I’ve seen it through the eyes of Baz Luhrmann, I don’t feel the need to see it any other way.
The movie made me feel all kinds of feelings, and when going through the final years of his life, it was quite the emotional rollercoaster. I have to applaud Austin Butler, who brought Elvis to life in the movie. He was freakin’ incredible! He delivered a stunning performance, a performance that should win him some best acting award nominations. He completely embodied Elvis! All I could see was Elvis when he was up on that screen. I have a feeling he’s going to impress a lot of fans.
The story of Elvis is told through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker, who is played by Tom Hanks. The story explores the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker over the course of 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. A lot of people place blame on the Colonel for the death of Elvis, and yeah, there’s no doubt that he drove him to an early death. It’s crazy that Elvis was only 42 years old when he died.
Hanks also delivers a haunting performance in the film and by the end of it, you definitely do not like The Colonel. Hanks rarely plays the villain in the movies he makes but played the hell out of this one. Make no mistake, Colonel Tom Parker was the villain of this story.
I had the opportunity to watch the film in a ScreenX theater, which is where the visuals of the film surround you while you watch it and it was a pretty cool experience watching this movie in that kind of theater. The way the film was visually presented worked great with that viewing format! I don’t see a lot of films in ScreenX, but I enjoyed how this movie was presented utilizing the technology.
The film also features a wonderful supporting cast that includes Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla Presley; Helen Thomson (Top of the Lake: China Girl) as Elvis’s mother, Gladys; Richard Roxburgh (Hacksaw Ridge) as Elvis’s father, Vernon; Luke Bracey (Hacksaw Ridge) plays Jerry Schilling; Natasha Bassett (Hail, Caesar!) plays Dixie Locke; David Wenham (The Lord of the Rings) plays Hank Snow; Kelvin Harrison Jr. (The Trial of the Chicago 7) plays B.B. King; Xavier Samuel (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse) plays Scotty Moore; and Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog) plays Jimmie Rodgers Snow.
Other cast members include Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things) as TV director Steve Binder, alongside Australian actors Leon Ford (Gallipoli) as Tom Diskin; Kate Mulvany (The Great Gatsby) as Marion Keisker; Gareth Davies (Hunters) as Bones Howe; Charles Grounds (Crazy Rich Asians) as Billy Smith; Josh McConville (Fantasy Island) as Sam Phillips; and Adam Dunn (Home and Away) as Bill Black.
I loved this movie and I’m excited about watching it again. It’s one of those films that I just couldn’t get out of my head after watching it, and it also inspired me to jump in and do a deep dive on the history of Elvis. One of the things I liked most about the film is all of the feelings and emotions that it made me feel over the course of the story.
