Ray, it is not. Walk the Line, it is not. Straight Out of Compton, it is not. Bohemian Rhapsody it is not. Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis (Moulin Rouge, The Great Gatsby) is slightly better than the disappointing Rocketman. The highly-anticipated Austin Butler-led (Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood, The Bling Ring) biopic had lofty expectations, considering that it was the one that the Presley family agreed was the true reckoning of Elvis’s life and legacy. While engaging for its lengthy 159-minute run-time, the film often felt disjointed and needed direction. With its shifting narrative, viewers often wondered if this movie was about Elvis Presley or more about Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks –Captain Phillips, Sully), his deceitful, longtime manager.

Fans of Luhrmann’s work are more likely to enjoy his abstract filmmaking techniques than those who prefer a more linear approach to a more systematic timeline of the musician’s career. While I have not seen all of Moulin Rouge, I’ve seen enough of it to believe it’s something I would not like. However, his adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic 1925 novel The Great Gatsby, which included modern-day tracks from the likes of Jay-Z, Fergie, Florence, and the Machine, will.i.am., Fergie, and others, was something that I did not think I would enjoy but enjoyed immensely. Likewise, I also thought his version of William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet in a modern-day Miami-type setting, but still with the exact lines and sentence structure of the 1597 play, would make me not enjoy the film. But, again, I was wrong.

Luhrmann earned another opportunity with Elvis. The screenplay he chose wasn’t for me, nor was his scene-splicing, shifts in tone, and lack of connection towards any of his characters. Though Elvis was struggling and succumbing to his addictive behaviors (food, drugs, alcohol, depression, sex, impulsivity, and excessive spending), which all were possibly due to bipolar disorder, Luhrmann kept Butler’s Elvis an arm’s distance away. While we should have been far more affected by this charismatic character, we felt detached, almost like we were watching him from the back of the room of the International Hilton instead of in the VIP section, where we could have seen his emotional turmoil on his face.

The bigger problem, however, was Hanks’ portrayal of Parker. There will be some who think that this performance will be worthy of a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. Others will feel that it is a farce. I’m in the latter. While physically, Hanks disappeared into the role (with his prosthetics and fat suit), his attempt at a European accent (Parker was of Holland descent) failed. While Hanks is no stranger to playing real-life characters (Sully, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Saving Mr. Banks, Captain Phillips, Charlie Wilson’s War, Catch Me if You Can, Apollo 13, Philadelphia), he’s never really been able to portray a villain successfully. And he wasn’t able to hear either. While an unlikeable character, Luhrmann’s version of Hanks’ Parker is almost comical. Parker is believed to have embezzled as much as $8 million between 1975 and 1979 alone. Our disdain for him should have been much more apparent with as much screentime as Parker was given. Likewise, we should have felt a deeper connection to Elvis, aware of how much he put into each concert just to see his money swindled.

I remember very little from the dull, joyless Rocketman. However, I never felt like Elvis laid off the gas pedal for its inconsistent storytelling and missed opportunities. While extremely disjointed, both in terms of scene sequencing and the overall arch of its story, Elvis never felt stagnant. While I would have appreciated longer cuts of each song (especially with Butler front and center), I did enjoy hearing bits and pieces of so many songs in Elvis’s catalog. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy his style for this particular film. Nonetheless, Elvis fans may see past the flaws and enjoy the movie for what it is, one centered around the events of Elvis’s life without always making the man the central focus.

Plot 7/10
Character Development 6.5/10
Character Chemistry 6.5/10
Acting 8.5/10
Screenplay 6.5/10
Directing  6/10
Cinematography 9.5/10
Sound 9/10
Hook and Reel 9/10
Universal Relevance 9/10
76.5%

Movies You Might Like If You Liked This Movie

• Ray
• Walk the Line
• Great Balls of Fire
• Rocketman
• Moulin Rouge