Review of Elvis (2022) by Mattyice — 06 Sep 2022

Like most Baz Luhrmann movies, Elvis does some things very well that make it an enjoyable watch, but it is bogged down by forced style, odd directorial choices, and questionable editing (or lack thereof).

The style of the film is bombastic and Elvis' music, remixed or otherwise, is showcased with a huge burst of energy, although the sweeping shots and editing tricks get very tiring after a while and detract from the emotional stakes at hand.

Austin Butler's performance as the titular character is spectacular and most of the other performances are good, except from, shockingly, the actor you would think would be the best performer: Tom Hanks.

His Colonel Tom Parker performance is laughably bad and arguably the worst of his career. The directorial choice to tell the story from Parker's perspective rather than Elvis' or even a family member's perspective is just head scratching, as Parker is detestable throughout the film and he occupies just as much if not more screen time than Elvis.

I applaud the risk, but this choice definitely frustrates the audience more and more as the film drags on as Parker becomes more and more hatable. Speaking of that, the film is way too long, clocking in at over 2 hours and 30 minutes, while also rushing through the prime of Elvis' career to focus on his sad downfall, which creates major pacing issues and leaves behind the fun side of Elvis' music that would've fit Baz's style.

Overall, Elvis is about on par with the rest of Luhrmann's works, which means it has its moments, but has some truly head scratching flaws and directorial choices that drag the film down from being anything more than okay.