Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton
Week of June 27, 2022
Elvis
Rated PG-13 for substance abuse, strong language, smoking and suggestive material
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%
In Theaters
There are several movies I am looking forward to this year, but the one that had me salivating the most was this spectacular biopic of the King of Rock and Roll: Elvis. From the mind of the extraordinarily creative Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge, The Great Gatsby) comes this sometimes uneven but alway exhilarating story of Elvis Presley, from his life as a poor boy growing up in Mississippi to his last days in Vegas and Memphis, all told with an intoxicating presentation, worthy of the showmanship that was always on display during his all-too-short career. Playing the King is newcomer Austin Butler who just went from nobody to Oscar front-runner overnight. He doesn’t just do an Elvis impersonation, but rather he becomes the legend in a way that you just can’t understand until you see it in person. Also on board is Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker, the man who started as Elvis’s manager and mentor and ended as Elvis’s puppet master. I really thought I knew a lot about the King’s life, after all, I’ve seen all of his movies and I’ve been to Graceland twice. I even had an Elvis anniversary celebration in Vegas with a young and old Elvis officiating the ceremony in front of our family and friends. But what I knew was his music and his legacy and not the struggle and suffering that went on behind the scenes. The film explores parts of his life that will forever change the way I think about my musical hero. Much of the film revolves around the Colonel and how he came to take Elvis under his wing only to keep him from his happiness and even subdue his success. I’ve heard from some that this is just a glossy and loud version of his life, but honestly, I see it as a primer and my curiosity has peaked enough to start really digging in. But as far as the movie goes, I couldn’t be happier with the end result. Baz sets the screen on fire with an innovative delivery and an engaging narrative that helps you understand Elvis’s world while still making it relevant to our own. And he does it in a way that captures the King in a way that I truly believe he would have loved. Sure it is extremely over-the-top, but who wants a strait-laced and accurate portrayal of how things went down when you can have a fast-moving electric circus to guide you through his journey. A