Tom Hanks' Weird Elvis Performance Is Actually Perfect (Despite Haters)

screenrant.com:

There’s been a lot of talk about Tom Hanks’ strange performance in the newElvis biopic, mostly critical, but his weird turn as Colonel Tom Parker is actually perfect for what the movie is doing. In Baz Luhrmann’s latest musical extravaganza, the life of Elvis Presley (Austin Butler) is explored through the perspective of his long-time manager Colonel Tom Parker, played by Hanks. The pair’s tempestuous and warped relationship is explored thoroughly throughout the film, highlighting how Parker tricks and uses his so-called “boy” to feed his own gambling addiction and ensure he can stay in the country.

The character of Colonel Parker is certainly a strange one, and not much is known about the man’s past, other than his work in the circus. Much has been made of the accent that Tom Hanks uses in Elvis. Even the Colonel’s real-life biographer has said howinaccurate Hanks' Colonel Parker accent is in Elvis, likening his real accent instead to a more Southern dialect approached by a Dutch native. The combination of whatever Hanks is doing with his voice, plus the fat suit and the cheap-looking prosthetics, has led to some confusion among moviegoers as to what the beloved actor is trying to do in the movie.

Related: Why Tom Hanks' Colonel Tom Parker Called Himself 'The Snowman'

Although Hanks’ performance is weird and perhaps even “bad” by his standards, there’s no doubt that it’s perfect for the character and for Luhrmann's take on Elvis. There’s a lack of identity attached to the real Colonel Tom Parker, a man who was, by all accounts, larger than life and flamboyant, but ultimately something of a mystery. He was something of a chameleon, changing his name, background, and other details of his life whenever it suited him. Tom