Elvis Review: What Luhrmann's Biopic Lacks In Depth It Makes Up For In Style
Baz Luhrmann takes a different approach to a biopic about Elvis Presley, honing in on the myth surrounding the iconic singer, but with all the style, glamour, and theatricality of his previous films. But unlike other Elvis stories, this one centers more on the singer’s shady manager, Colonel Tom Parker, who wants nothing but to tell the audience his truth about Elvis and the role he had in his life. The director, who co-wrote Elvis alongside Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce, and Jeremy Doner, embellishes Elvis’ life and career, but sidesteps a deeper examination of his humanity. The film is beautiful to look at and has a wonderful, electric energy, most especially during Elvis’ performances. But while Elvis sees a memorable turn from Austin Butler in the titular role, the film cannot maintain the same buzzing enthusiasm it started with.
The film begins with an older Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks under a lot of prosthetics), who awakens from his hospital bed to set the record straight about himself and his involvement with Elvis' (Butler) career. Parker was Elvis' manager for two decades, but he's frustrated by the rumors that say he killed the man known as «the King.» And so the story rewinds to 1955: Elvis had a song playing on the local radio station and the Colonel, then a carnival barker, was taken by the young singer's energy and ability to drive the audience into a tizzy. He recruits Elvis to tour with him before quitting the carnival, dedicating his full attention to the musician who's got everyone talking. Elvis spans the singer's career, brushing past aspects of his personal life, including his home life — where he is a doting son to mother Gladys (Helen Thomson) and his marriage to Priscilla (Olivia DeJonge) — to
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