Elvis (2022)

My Review

“Elvis” is a phenomenal look at the life of the legendary Elvis Presley, from the angle of his relationship with his manager, Col. Tom Parker. The performances of Austin Butler as Presley and Tom Hanks as Parker were spot-on according to comments by Presley family members. They were certainly mesmerizing to the audiences in theaters. Producer-director-screenwriter Baz Luhrmann (“The Great Gatsby” 2013) took this comprehensive look at Elvis’ life from the early days to his tragic end. The first part of the picture was filmed in split screen style, with an almost MTV look about it.

Young actor Butler did the vocals of Presley in his first hits as a young singer, then Luhrmann dubbed in Presley’s own voice in his later hits. Butler’s extensive talents are evident in this picture, with his only other major film role being that of Tex Watkins in 2019’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” He should be a major star of the future. Hanks’ versatility as an actor are well documented; he was excellent here as the enigmatic Col. Parker.

The supporting cast includes Olivia De Jonge as Priscilla Presley, Richard Roxburgh and Helen Thomson as Elvis’ parents, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as B. B. King, David Wenham as Hank Snow, Alton Mason as Little Richard, and Josh McConville as Sam Phillips, Elvis Presley’s first record producer. “Elvis” is 159 minutes of very watchable entertainment from Australian director Baz Luhrmann and Warner Bros. Pictures. It was primarily filmed in Queensland, Australia, with some cover shots in Nashville, Tennessee.

“Elvis” was received eight Oscar nods (no wins), including Best Picture, Best Actor (Butler), Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography (Mandy Walker), Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Costume Design, and Best Film Editing. It won two Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Supporting Actor (Hanks) and Worst Screen Combo (Tom Hanks and his latex-laden face and ludicrous accent).