Elvis – A Larger-Than-Life Biopic For Better or Worse

Elvis Presley is a man that needs no introduction. The best selling solo artist of all time, his music continues to inspire artists and resonate with listeners today. Ever since his untimely death in 1977, there have been countless biopics and other films featuring the singer and now, here’s another one. The aptly-titled Elvis is a larger-than-life biopic in more ways than one for better or worse. While the film is extremely long, clocking in at nearly 3 hours, it is also overflowing with a flashy style and frenetic editing that may alleviate that for some audiences. However, that style is simply way too much more so early on and merely distracts from it. Meanwhile, there are some good elements here but they just don’t quite fit together enough to create a cohesive whole. It’s essentially a rare combination of too much and also not enough. The resulting mess makes any connection to what is a worthy story difficult to make. Seeing all the unrealized potential is disappointing. A film that definitely would have been better served played more straight, that would never happen with Baz Luhrmann. Presley fan or not, his style is not going to be for everyone.

Elvis is more or less a biopic of Presley (Butler) told from the perspective of his longtime manager Col. Tom Parker (Hanks). This was arguably not the best choice, taking a semi-chronological approach that takes a look back before going forward as he recounts a condensed version of Presley’s backstory and his questionable role in Presley’s rise in hindsight. Parker, an illegal immigrant from the Netherlands who came to America looking to get rich, enlisted in the army for a short time where he took the name of his interviewer and made up a false backstory to hide the fact that he was an illegal immigrant. Biding his time as a mid-level talent manager, he used his experience as a carnie to promote his talent and made a decent career out of it. Things clearly changed, however, once Presley came along. Seeing him as his golden goose, Parker sank his claws into him and didn’t let go, manipulating him and poor family.

Coming from tough circumstances, all Presley wanted to do was support his family and he tapped into that. Born and raised in a predominantly Black area in Tupelo, Mississippi, this was where he got much of his inspiration. Moving to Memphis, Tennessee as a teen, he frequented Beale Street, the heart of the city’s blues scene while having dreams of stardom. Self-trained, he put in the work and amassed a small following but it wasn’t until coming across Col. Parker that he finally started getting big. However, Presley was a much different beast that would have to be managed differently. Amidst an age of segregation and family values, reigning in his youthful energy and enthusiasm at times proved to be a challenge. However, this was also what made him so popular and the money he was generating was also hard to give up.

Watching the evolution of America through the lens of Presley was certainly interesting and one of the few bright spots in Elvis. In the end, this was only the beginning as far as his career was concerned. Through many ups and downs, the bigger Presley got, the harder he was to control. He was merely a minor when he started as the older he got, the grip Parker had over him lessened. Regardless, he just loved to perform. While the latter’s motivations were fairly clear, Presley still felt indebted to him for giving him his start. As he got bigger, he got a glimpse of what a life without Parker could have been like as emerging influences began to pull him in several directions but their connection would be a hard one to break. It was frustrating at times, however, breaking up was easier said than done, allegedly leading to his eventual downfall which was a shame.

The flashier parts of Elvis may be too much for some but another thing the film gets right is the theatrical nature of Presley’s performances which built on the last one as he grew as an artist and performer. They were a blast to watch and that begins and ends with Butler’s absolutely transcendent performance as Presley. He inhabits the character with a charismatic performance that captures his personality and energy where he truly came into his own as Presley came into his own. His arc over the course of the film was quite the sight to behold as he commanded the screen throughout. However the film ends up being received, Butler is a bonafide movie star who has now put his name on the map. That being said, he could have been so much more as the film still held him back. The same could not be said for Hanks who delivers a baffling performance as Col. Parker. Basically everything about him and the character felt wrong, be it his accent, the cringe-worthy dialog, or the over-the-top combination of both.

At the end of the day, Elvis is a larger-than-life film befitting of its titular character for better or worse. Though it doesn’t all work, Austin Butler is going to be a star.

still courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.