Baz Lurhmann’s take on the life of Elvis Presley never slows down.
A messy movie about a messy life, «Elvis» is nonetheless an enthralling portrait of one of history’s greatest and most important entertainers. Madman director Baz Luhrmann, who knows no speed except pedal to the metal, throws everything at the wall in his portrait of the King of Rock and Roll, from swirling cameras to split screens to turning the movie, at one point early on, into a living comic book. His flourishes don’t always work, but when he connects he creates a deliriously entertaining spectacle that captures the spirit and essence of Elvis, and the seismic shift in culture he ushered in with just a few swivels of his hips. Thirty-year-old Austin Butler climbs the mountain of playing Elvis and comes out on top. It’s a gigantic task and Butler is triumphant, breathing life into the Memphis boy who would be King, making him believable both on and off the stage, even when he’s a towering, larger than life figure. It would be easy to turn Elvis into a caricature, all curled lip and slurred «thankyouverymuch», but Butler steers away from doing an impression and instead inhabits the body and soul of Elvis Presley. It’s a remarkable performance. Tom Hanks as Elvis’ manager, business partner and nemesis, Col. Tom Parker, is less effective. Hanks is buried beneath a fat suit and adopts an accent that makes him sound like a Danish vampire, and America’s most beloved actor never manages to disappear into the film’s villain role.
