ELVIS

Review: The life of American music icon Elvis Presley and the complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Actors: Tom Hanks, Austin Butler, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, Kelvin Harrison Jr., David Wenham, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Luke Bracey, Dacre Montgomery, Leon Ford, Gary Clark Jr., Yola, Natasha Bassett, Xavier Samuel, Adam Dunn, Alton Mason and Shonka Dukureh
Year: 2022
Genre: Biography, Drama and Music
Conclusion: 4/5
I really enjoyed this film although like most films there is no need for it to be 2h 39m. I thought Austin Butler was terrific and I can’t think of another actor who could have done the part as well as him. I think it was great to see an unknown actor play a part like this and lovely to see a fresh face. Apparently, he wore 90 costumes and wore six wigs throughout the film while portraying Elvis. Austin Butler does his own singing and dancing throughout the film. I do hope to see much more of Austin Butler in future films. I have to say that this is my least favourite Tom Hanks role in all the movies he has made. Apparently, it took Tom Hanks 5 hours to apply the makeup for his transformation into Colonel Tom Parker. I think the script is very well written and adventurous. Watching this I can see resemblances to Moulin Rouge (2001) and also The Great Gatsby (2013). You could look at the whole story as a Shakespearean tragedy. Having said that, it is a popular theory that Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis should be seen as a companion piece to Romeo + Juliet (1996). At the Bafta Awards in 2023 this won four awards. They were for Best Leading Actor (Austin Butler), Best Casting, Best Costume Design and Best Make Up and Hair. At the Golden Globe Awards in 2023 this won one award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama (Austin Butler).