ELVIS : His Life And Times As Told By His Manager

ELVIS chronicles the life of the legendary King of Rock n Roll. From his birth, his growing up years as a scrawny kid hanging out with the black community, to his rise to stardom, and eventual death. There are so many grounds to cover, with the film's 2 hours and 39 minutes runtime not even enough. The story is told through the eyes of his business manager, Colonel Tom Parker.   

 

Austin Butler, in his star-making turn, pours his heart and soul to this role of a lifetime. He's at his best when he's onstage performing, giving every bit of his flesh and blood in enthralling his audience. He talks, sings, and moves much like Elvis. It's like he's been  possessed by the King to be able to swing like the music icon. Butler is electrifying !    

 

Tom Hanks, on the other hand, has been criticized for his weird portrayal of the manager. He's like a manipulative comic-book villain, and he's got this accent which is quite distracting. And I must say, it sure takes a lot for a nice guy like Tom Hanks to convince us that he's the bad guy. I still think he did a good job though.    

 

Director Baz Luhrmann's stylized retelling of Elvis' story compliments the King's crazy career and personal life. The film is presented in a frenetic pace editing and it's full of montages, that a regular viewer might feel exhausted after watching the film. So many things to cover, so little time that some story arcs were not given enough room to develop. This doesn't mean that the film is not entertaining. It is an in-depth look at the life and career of the musical icon. After watching the film, casual viewers will likely want to learn more about Elvis, and fans will definitely love to hear and see him come alive again, at least on the silver screen. Millennials will get to know how a poor boy from Tupelo, Mississippi -  his early musical influences, the personal struggles,  his phenomenal rise to stardom,  became the King of Rock and Roll. 

Come awards season, expect Oscar nominations for Best Actor,, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, and Best Picture. Austin Butler's career is going to explode !

  

 

Photos c/o Warner Bros. Pictures

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