Elvis (2022) - Flashy, Inaccurate & Unfocused

There are fewer names in rock and roll that have driven the music listening audience wild like the king himself, Elvis Presley. And with the flashy style of director, Baz Luhrmann behind this new biopic on the king, interest has been at an all time high. However, there’s some key issues that holds this flashy spectacle back from being one of the greats.

From the word go, it has to be said that Austin Butler absolutely steals the show as the titular rock and roll king. He encapsulates Elvis’ signature style of performing, and really embodies the look of this iconic figure. Following in the footsteps of Rami Malek and Taron Egerton, Butler sings a lot of these numbers himself, with elements of Presley’s actual vocals mixed in to add to the authenticity. It is really hard to tell when it’s Butler singing and not Presley, which is really an impressive demonstration of Butler’s talent. The music is general as you would expect from a film called Elvis is astounding. The only questionable element is the usage of modern sounding songs in the background of specific scenes. This can be easily distracting and take audiences out of the moment and time period. Hollywood legend, Tom Hanks also knocks it out of the park with a performance for the ages. He is so effortlessly charming as you would expect from a Hanks performance, while also being uneasy and hard to trust. I can see both Hanks and Butler being easy contenders at the Oscars next year!

However, it’s when discussing Hank’s character of Colonel Tom Parker that the biggest issue with Luhrmann’s Elvis comes up… it’s hardly focused on Elvis. When you hear that film title, you think it’s going to be about Elvis and his music. But ultimately, this film gets bogged down by focusing on far too many elements, and more often than not, focusing on those around Elvis. So much of Elvis’ actual life is brushed over in very choppy editing in the first half of the film, instead focusing on the all important Colonel Parker discovering the titular superstar. It feels like the film can’t decide on whether to focus on Elvis’ career or the neglectful treatment by Parker. The strongest part of the film for me is the commentary on segregation in America, and how Elvis’ style of performing broke down those boundaries. Had they followed Elvis more throughout this story, instead of focusing on those living off him, then this film would be deserving of being called Elvis. It even gets to the point where stuff that actually happened such as his divorce from Priscilla Presley gets brushed over so quickly, that it felt like it was shoehorned in for the sake of drama! Again, why not actually focus more on your title character??

Despite overpowering the overarching narrative, Colonel Parker is an interesting aspect in the form of the unreliable narrator. He narrates the events of the film, and it’s clear that his biased view of the events is bleeding into how he tells it. Thankfully, we see a stark contrast in the actual story, as Parker’s actions are as neglectful as is expected. However, it does feel like the drama is heightened and intensified for the sake of the film. Despite Parker being found to be neglectful of Elvis, his family today have still had nice things to say. It’s even documented that Elvis was happy to split the earnings evenly with Parker, something the film itself shows in a different light. So if you’re expecting 100% accuracy, then you will be disappointed. Sure films like 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody and 2019’s Rocketman also had the trope of managers influencing the young superstar, but at least it wasn’t the primary focus. Those films were still about Freddie Mercury and Elton John respectively, whereas Elvis feels like it should be called “The Colonel Tom Parker Film”, as that is sadly the main thing that Luhrmann has decided to put centre stage in his film about Elvis.

So, is this film a disgrace to Elvis’ legacy? Not entirely! Luhrmann really brings his flashy, signature style to this rock and roll story. It’s lively, and provides a performance for the ages in the form of Austin Butler. However, it is let down by misdirection, inaccurate portrayal of events for the sake of heightened drama, and the biggest issue, it’s not even about Elvis. When Elvis and the influence of his music is the focus, then the film gets it spot on! Alas, it doesn’t do this all the time, nor does Elvis’ life and career get a lot of focus away from the reigns of Colonel Tom Parker. Honestly, I would just watch one of the many Elvis documentaries. You’ll get more of Elvis, and it is not going to heightened the tension for the sake of drama!

Story - 2.5/5

Characters - 4/5

Production - 3.5/5

Acting - 5/5

Music - 4/5

TOTAL - 7.6/10