Sydney Film Festival 2022 - Film Review - Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis"

Austin Butler as Elvis Presley in Elvis

 
For any film director the prospect of creating a biopic around a cultural icon such as the late Elvis Presley is always a daunting and high risk venture. Will the film do justice to its subject ? Will the legion of Elvis fans accept the representation of 'The King of Rock and Roll' as shown in the film ? Is there a proper balance between the undoubted talent of the man and his ultimate decline ? Australian film director, Baz Luhrmann has made a valiant and generally successful effort with this high production values film which focusses on the ascent of Elvis Presley from his initial performances to becoming a major international star prior to his decline in health and ultimate death in 1977. Presley was only 42 years of age. 

Luhrmann's rumoured $200M budget production was filmed on Australia's Gold Coast with a predominantly Australian cast and crew. As a biographical musical drama there is a strong concentration on the actual Elvis' music and performances many of which were documented events in themselves. Perhaps the most unusual element is the fact that narration in the film and the perspective taken is from the view of Elvis' manager, the controversial Colonel Tom Parker. Parker remains a controversial figure to this day for his financial exploitation of Elvis with seeming control and manipulative restriction of his performances in the United States. 

The key cast members are American actors Austin Butler (as Elvis), Tom Hanks (as Colonel Tom Parker) with the largely Australian cast including Olivia DeJonge (as Priscilla Presley), Helen Thomson (as Elvis' mother Gladys) Richard Roxburgh (as Elvis' father, Vernon) and David Wenham (as musician/singer Hank Snow). 

The final ten or so minutes of the film use archival footage of the real Elvis Presley at the end of his career.

With a running time of 159 minutes, this is a film for those who enjoy the music and style of performance of Elvis Presley. Luhrmann has succeeded in executing a very capable and entertaining production.