Review of Elvis & Nixon (2016) by David J — 29 Apr 2016

"Elvis and Nixon" must be the quirkiest film of the year, perhaps of the decade. A comedy based on factual events. The famous photograph seems odd enough, yet it's true. Michael Shannon kills it as Elvis Presley.

Kevin Spacey, yes Kevin Spacey, plays a most wonderful Richard Nixon. Neither hypes nor vamps, yet comedy ensues. Real life incidents evolve into laugh out loud humor. Who knew that Elvis carried several licensed handguns continuously and even brought them to the White House! All of the performances shine fabulously under the direction of Liza Johnson.

We are immersed in December 1970. Even if you have little to no interest in this period or Elvis or Nixon, still this film entertains. The cinematography complementary to story on it's own, integrates seamlessly with archive footage, the music score delightful, even selected period music eschews Elvis songs in favor of pop tunes of the day.

This picture wonderfully entertains, I highly recommend it. The opening credits are noteworthy as well. 4 out of 5 stars.