Directed by Baz Luhrmann
Starring Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, and Olivia DeJonge

Legendary and ground-breaking Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann could not have received a warmer reception for his return to the big screen after almost a decade than the twelve-minute standing ovation at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival for the world premiere of Elvis, the longest standing ovation for an American film at the festival! 

Clearly, audiences at Cannes could not help but falling in love with this film. Now, it’s the turn for audiences all around the globe to be all shook up by the glitz, glamour, and razzle-dazzle that only Baz could infuse into the story of Elvis Presley.

A plus-size suit-wearing Tom Hanks as Elvis Presley’s notorious manager, Dutch-born Colonel Tom Parker, opens this highly-anticipated biopic that scrutinises his pivotal role in the making and the breaking of the King of Rock & Roll. The first act of this movie charts Elvis’ rapid rise during the 1950s and chronicles the lead-up to Parker first laying eyes upon and realising the star that is born in Presley. It then moves on to address the public outcry at his (at the time) controversial pelvic thrusts, a bodily movement on stage that set many temperatures rising for polar opposite reasons. A far less publicised and more private aspect of Elvis Presley’s life; his relationship with his parents and in particular, his mother, is also delved into and forms an essential part of what this biopic is probing. Throughout the second half of the film, another private yet widely publicised aspect of Elvis’ life is covered; the burning love he himself shared with Priscilla after meeting her in Germany in 1959. The arranged career transition to becoming a Hollywood leading man after his return to the U.S with Priscilla, Elvis’ addiction to prescription drugs and his final and fateful return to the music industry are all showcased in the latter parts of this unforgettable film.

New Baz, Same Baz
The storytelling in Elvis is noticeably more grounded than perhaps what we’re used to seeing in a Baz Luhrmann production, and it needed to be this way here, but it’s certainly not without Baz’s trademark visual energy, stunning film photography, scintillating camerawork, sublime sound mixing and scoring.

A Little Less (or More) Conversation 
If Elvis leaves any lingering doubt of its sheer all-round excellence, that doubt can almost certainly be attributed towards any details the script omits from Elvis’ life and the amount of detail, whether too little or too much, it devotes to the many aspects covered throughout. Personally, it took my days after watching this to truly understand and appreciate the narrative as a whole.

Suspicious Minds Over Tom’s Take 
Tom Hanks hasn’t garnered the same universal acclaim as his young co-star for his performance as the divisive Tom Parker. There were times where I wondered if the accent was a little shaky and if he was attempting to channel Harold Zidler from Moulin Rouge! Despite any momentary inconsistencies that may be present in his performance, Hanks nails the scenes he needs to most and is always conscious to not interfere with or outshine the true star of this show. 

Four Reasons Why Elvis Goes Higher and Higher
Three of these reasons can be attributed to the writing. First up, the script’s exploration of Elvis Presley discovering and re-discovering his identity as an artist in the face of adversity and control is absorbing and touching. Its appropriation of black culture and stirring anti-racism sentiment is the second. Thirdly, it is a devastating outcome we see eventuate so often in this industry; a once-in-a-lifetime truly gifted artist pushed beyond their limit for the sake fame, money, and selfish gains. Who was really there for Elvis at a time he himself needed a bridge over troubled waters? Elvis turns itself into a telling consequential true tale chronicling precisely this. 

Austin Powers
Austin Butler’s meteoric rise to the stage as Elvis Presley is nothing short of incredible. It is a performance that is equally memorable and can be mirrored to Rami Malek’s Oscar-winning portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, yet is arguably even more impressive considering the glorious production values that could easily have over-powered all else. As it turns out, the casting, look and style, and performance of Austin Butler is as precious to the film as those blue suede shoes were to Elvis.

Glory, glory hallelujah. Now it’s Elvis’ truth that is marching on.  

Elvis is showing in cinemas across Australia from June 23rd.

Moviedoc thanks Universal Pictures for the invite to the screening of this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

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