I’d been hearing great things about this film so I went with 3 daughters and a niece to see what the buzz was about. Well, I’m blown away. Austin Butler, who plays Elvis is a relative unknown. He is unbelievable He became Elvis. He said it took 7 months of being in character to get the voice, the moves, the humanity to perfection. And the script was excellent. Priscilla Presley and Lisa Marie both said it was a “perfect” depiction of the man they loved. They showed many difficult aspects of his life truthfully, and what it did to him. It was strange seeing Tom Hanks as the villain. But he is so versatile and engaged you forget his other roles. What’s remarkable is that despite growing up in poor, rural Mississippi there was not a drop of racism in Elvis Presley. If anything, he embraced people of color as his own. The film shows the transition of black music channelled through this beautiful white man. You saw the spell young Elvis cast with his music. It showed how he was owned and possibly killed by the machinations of Tom Parker ( Hanks). It was musically flawless. I found out afterwards that there were clips of Elvis Presley cut into certain parts, both performing and acting. I couldn’t spot one. Astonishing. We saw Elvis starting out and at his peak. We saw him manipulated by Parker away from his own ambitions. This film is a celebration of his life and sad ending. It was a tribute. Austin Butler has a great career ahead of him. His performance was immaculate in his every way. I’d urge any music fan to see it on the big screen. Unforgettable, and I wasn’t even an Elvis fan. Baz Luhrman has done his magic again. My whole family were breathtaken by the beauty of Austin Butler. Everyone in the audience was.
Up until just recently, I hadn’t seen a movie in a theatre since 2019. I considered seeing this movie but opted instead for Where the Crawdads Sing. I don’t dislike Elvis, nor am I huge fan but I felt like I chose wisely. The reviews I’ve seen from friends have both praised it and knocked it. I suspect I’ll see in on DVD at some point down the line but in all honesty, I’m in no hurry to do so. That said, I’m glad others have enjoyed it.
It was available to watch online, via the tv, but the heart of this film is the music. Unless your tv has ultra fantastic surround sound, you’ll miss out. I’d advise anybody to go see it at the movies, especially you, because I know you’re a true music lover. Go on, treat yourself and make up your own mind. You won’t regret it, even if the story doesn’t blow you away, hearing those glorious sounds makes all the difference here.
Funny - next on my list of movies is Where The Crawdads Sing. Good to know you enjoyed it.
I haven’t read the book but the movie itself was very much up my alley.
Wow! I’d heard good things from critics, but hearing it from you makes me want to see it! A movie theater is not really a good option for us any more, though. We do have a ludicrously large 4K HDTV; do you think it’d translate to a screen that’s big for the room?
If it has good sound quality, it should be fine. Let me know what you and Kelly think once you’ve seen it.
Noted. I’ll put it on my list.
Etty.
Go out and buy the soundtrack.
If you loved the alternate takes they did in the movie, it’ll be totally worth your time. It even has Austin Butler singing on it. Yeah like Jauquin Phoenix did in Walk the Line, Austin also sang and played some guitar, in real life.
Thanks for the tip!
No problem