Review: 'Elvis' is one fried peanut butter and banana sandwich of a movie, tasty but overstuffed
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Baz Luhrmannâs musical drama âElvisâ has all the pomp and pompadour one would expect by putting Elvis Presleyâs iconic life on screen. If only the storytelling was as dazzling as his bejeweled jumpsuits.
The relationship between Elvis (Austin Butler) and his notorious manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), is at the center of an overlong, narrative mess (â â ½ out of four; rated PG-13; HBO Max, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Vudu, Google Play and other on-demand platforms), as excessive as one of the King's fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches.
However, with Butlerâs stellar portrayal, itâs never dull, and more enjoyable than not. The musical numbers are often dazzling, boosted by Luhrmannâs inimitable style. And the plot (for better and for worse) covers a ton of Presleyâs life. But even when itâs over, youâre still not sure what Hanks is doing.
Americaâs Dad plays the literal heavy in âElvis,â which at first is told from Parkerâs perspective (although it doesnât stay that way). A manipulative carny at his core, the Colonel watches young Elvis perform, and sees potential for the greatest show on Earth. And heâs not wrong: The Mississippi-born Memphis kid with rockabilly hair and a gawky frame goes on stage, does a âwiggleâ with his hips, and female fans go absolutely bonkers. Not so shockingly, "Elvis the Pelvis" doesnât play well in the conservative Bible Belt of the South.
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The film quickly rolls through his early days as a rising star in the 1950s, as Parker convinces Elvis to take him on as manager, and the singer causes enough of a ruckus that getting drafted into the Army is a decent PR move. Stationed in Germany, he meets future wife, Priscilla (Olivia DeJonge), whom Elvis begins to trust more than the sly, shady Colonel.
After the movieâs fever-dreamy first half, Luhrmann puts on the brakes from that breakneck pace as he reaches the late 1960s. After Elvisâ foray into Hollywood, he and Parker land in Las Vegas, where Presley has a musical comeback, but goes down a bad path as the Colonel pulls strings behind the scenes like a devilish puppet master. (When Elvis sings âSuspicious Minds,â the timing is right on the nose.)
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Butler makes for a phenomenal King of rock ânâ roll because, rather than going the impersonator route, he grows into being Elvis just as the real one did, from truck driver to musical deity. And while Presley's own vocals were used in the latter part of the movie, Butler sings the early songs and brings real electricity to a performer who's just beginning to leave the world all shook up.
Hanksâ Parker is a harder sell. The makeup and prosthetics work is amazing, but the character never quite lands, as Hanksâ accent bounces from German to Leprechaun to âevil Woody after a hard life in the toy box.â (In reality, the Colonel was Dutch.) Also hampering his role: The movie centers on Parker for a good bit â with hints of unreliable narration and scenes where he takes control of the plot in meta fashion â but never fully commits to his point of view, adding to the filmâs haphazard nature.
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While the kitchen-sink approach to Presleyâs life doesnât totally work, the film does have fits of strength. DeJonge is spot-on as Priscilla, although Elvisâ marriage is treated mainly as a subplot. The movie also interestingly dips into his respect for (and relationship with) the influential Black musicians of Beale Street, such as B.B. King (Kelvin Harrison Jr.).
Luhrmannâs gift for presenting musical fantasias, proven in his glorious âMoulin Rouge,â is on display here, not only with the well-crafted Butler scenes, but with a stirring performance of âHound Dogâ by Shonka Dukureh (as Big Mama Thornton), a soulful âThatâs All Rightâ courtesy of Gary Clark Jr. (channeling Arthur Crudup), and a show-stopping âTutti Fruttiâ from Alton Mason (who plays Little Richard).
You canât help falling in love with the music, Butler's transformation into a legend and Luhrmannâs signature flourishes: Comic-book panels reflect Presleyâs love of superheroes, and there's a groovy â60s-style movie montage. However, at the risk of checking into Heartbreak Hotel, donât get your hopes up for a cohesive classic befitting a King.
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