REVIEW: 'Elvis' (2022, Baz Luhrmann)

You remember that scene in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) when Queen performed at the Live Aid concert? It was a profound moment seeing Rami Malik fully transform into Freddie Mercury right before your eyes.

In Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, you experience the same every time Austin Butler, who plays the King of Rock ‘n' Roll, appears on stage.

When Elvis premiered in Cannes early this year, it received a 12-minute standing ovation and made Presley’s wife Priscilla and daughter Lisa Mari emotional, and even brought tears to granddaughter Riley Keough. The family of the late rockstar cannot stop expressing their adoration for the film on social media.

Luhrmann rendered Elvis in his signature flamboyant, whimsical style with vivid, exaggerated visuals and quick cuts — recalling the carnival-like vibe that made his previous works like Moulin Rouge!, The Great Gatsby, and Romeo + Juliet unforgettable.

The difference is, in Elvis, Butler is the star, not Luhrmann. But then again, Butler’s phenomenal performance (I won’t be surprised if he wins an Oscar) transcends all the pomp in a Luhrmann film.

Butler is the main reason to see Elvis. Though his features are not identical to the subject, he’s more Elvis than Elvis. His portrayal is symbolic and soulful. He does not impersonate the icon, he resurrects him. He and Luhrmann collaborated not to replicate the face of the legend, but his impact on people.

The 30-year-old actor talks, walks, and sings like Elvis.

If you’re looking for an Elvis movie hinged on realism and nuances, you’ll be all shook up. But if you’re curious about Luhrmann’s portrait of one of the most revolutionary cultural symbols of the 20th century, this is it.

While Elvis provides a glimpse into the roots and rise of a superstar, from his childhood inspirations until his tragic ending, Luhrmann focuses on the highlights and the emotional journey of an authentic musician.

Luhrmann is not the director you seek for a detailed biography, that’s a job for Steven Spielberg or Clint Eastwood. This is Luhrmann’s attempt to shed light on the enigma that is Presley, the artist’s story told through the greedy eyes of his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks with heavy prosthetics.

It’s a scrapbook, almost a montage of Elvis’ life, but cleverly backdropped by milestones in American history. The information may not differ from a Wikipedia background and avid Elvis fans won’t get anything new from the story. But it’s intentional. Luhrmann wants you to feel Elvis and his passion. His rebelliousness. The hysteria of his fans.

Butler thrills and moves you nonstop. Then you go home to obsessively read up anything about him, in between scouring for old footage of Elvis, and then replaying the trailer over and over again.

Such is the lingering power of this spectacular, intoxicating movie. Elvis is a big-screen must-see (preferably at a Dolby Atmos theater for the sound).

It is, by far, the best movie in the first half of 2022. I can’t wait to see it again.


4.5/5 stars
On its second week in cinemas

Originally published in the Daily Tribune