Baz Luhrmann’s 159-minute tribute to Elvis Presley is as grand and loud as the life of the rock and roll king. ‘The White Boy with Black Hips’—as the headline of a newspaper reads in the film—is played by Austin Butler.
The lead role in Elvis was a much-coveted one, with reports of even Harry Styles and Miles Teller auditioning for it. But it eventually went to Butler who delivered a brilliant performance.
However, Luhrmann’s film is not just about the star, but also the man who made him the star, Colonel Tom Parker, played flawlessly by Tom Hanks. It is a look at the man and the myth from Parker’s perspective. Bowled over by Presley’s seductive voice and gyrating performance style, Parker turns Presley into a showman. But that becomes both Presley’s boon and bane as he is unable to escape Parker’s clutches.
Also read: Stellar cast, tight plot—Jugg Jugg Jeeyo is the Bollywood comedy India has been waiting for
The musical tribute
Elvis has all the classics – Heartbreak Hotel, Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock and Can’t Help Falling in Love. And Butler gets Presley’s baritone voice uncannily right.
The film chronicles key moments in the performer’s life—his discovery at Sun Records in 1954, the first live shows, the ’68 Comeback Special, and his reinvention in the 1970s. The film is for both Presley fans and those who just know the name. It brings to life the cultural and racial debates of his time and the struggles of the music industry.
The performances and sets in Elvis recreate the era that was – and it was a big carnival. Luhrmann is a master craftsman of recreating moments in history, from Moulin Rouge! (2001) to The Great Gatsby (2013) and now Elvis. You travel with the troupe and you live and experience the high-octane Presley fever.
The clothes, sideburns, and makeup all add to the atmosphere of extravaganza and frenzy.
Also read: Masoom is Boman Irani’s OTT debut, but it would be better as a family drama than crime thriller
A perfect cast
Butler aces as the vulnerable and defiant star and has such an uncanny resemblance to Presley that you often forget it’s not him. From the mannerisms to the haunted, lonely look that comes on every time Elvis realises how lonely the life of a showman is, cuts through the heart.
Olivia DeJonge plays the wide-eyed teen Priscilla Beaulieu in love with the showman, and the yearning, supportive wife well. The tumultuous relationship that ends with Priscilla leaving Elvis and taking away their daughter Lisa Marie, is just one of the many tragedies that plague him. Then there are also the questions about whether he was an abuser.
Tom Hanks does the shrewd, manipulative and yet enigmatic persona of Colonel Parker so well that your revulsion is strong. And yet, much like Presley, you can’t do without him because he is the show maker, the business wizard. The role will probably fetch Hanks another nomination or Academy Award.
Of course, the thought of losing out on the boy he made big and the benefits that came with it makes Parker behave like the flawed man he was.
Also read: She Season 2’s edgy vulgarity will keep you watching. But it doesn’t take the series forward
‘Elvis is back’
Elvis mostly veers away from the controversies that have stuck to Presley’s legacy – even decades after his death at the age of 42 in 1977. His alleged relationships with underage girls, his ‘stealing’ from Black musicians – the controversies aren’t allowed to malign the image Presley created as one of the greatest cultural icons the world has seen.
Elvis’ death is shown through a newspaper headline and a montage of the tributes that poured in from everyone, including then US President Jimmy Carter.
It’s a fitting tribute to the showman, and you ought to immerse yourself in the marvel this weekend. You will probably leave with music and an ache in your heart.