REVIEW: ELVIS

He was the best-selling solo musician of all time. He had an unmistakable public persona and a voice which made women weak. They screamed, jumped or fainted, throwing their bras and panties on the stage.

All lovers of rock and roll, THE movie is here! The spirit of Elvis Presley came to life in the long-awaited drama from Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge, The Great Gatsby). However, it is significantly different from biopic-genre films such as Rocketman, Bohemian Rhapsody or Ray. Have you seen it yet?

Messy introduction

The introduction is really very messy. The viewer is slightly startled. It looks immensely fragmented, unstable and jumps in time with such a cadence that the singer himself would be lost. Unfortunately, this continues throughout the whole film. It is caused by the film having up to four screenwriters - Baz Luhrmann, Craig Pearce, Jeremy Doner, Sam Bromell.

This Hollywood trend "the more screenwriters, the better" does not work at all and killed many long-awaited blockbusters. In this case, the viewer seemed to be watching four different films in one. However, the most problematic factor is the selected narrative. Although the film is called Elvis, the picture is told from the perspective of his infamous manager Tom Parker (played by Tom Hanks).

At times, the viewer is even given the impression that Parker is the main character of the film, not Elvis, who is played by 30-year-old Austin Butler (you can remember him as a psychopath Tex from the Tarantino film Once Upon and Time in Hollywood).

Unnecessary digressions

Luhrmann's newest film is two and a half hours long, and only within the final third does the music icon get real features and the film gains its seriousness. The last part shows us the true, authentic Elvis. It is paradoxical that until then the creators focus on a million different and occasionally unnecessary storylines, and as if they have forgotten who the film is, or should be about.

On the other hand, it is nice that Luhrmann uses the film narrative to tell the story of Rock 'N Roll and incorporates the fundamental moments of American history from the assassination of Martin Luther King or Robert Kennedy through the arrival of Beatles to the Vietnam war. The creators are doing well and clearly showing how all of these events were relevant to and created around Elvis.

The contemporary context plays an important role here. If there were not so many conservative nationalists and racists supporting segregation in America, Little Richards could have been labeled the Rock 'N Roll King. Elvis took the best of the black blues and gospel and transformed it into a more dynamic form.

The fantastic Austin Butler

The creators show Elvis as a rebel who does not let any man command him (many wanted him to be a sexless puppet without a brain or self-esteem), as well as a man who is not afraid to break conventions, stand up to the weaker and for the oppressed. He uses sophisticated lyrics and a selection of songs to deliver these messages.

The most memorable scene of the film is when Elvis first stands up to Parker and plays Trouble. It is a pity that it is the only such scene. However, a person who, despite all the imperfections, pulls the film up, is the great Austin Butler. He was undoubtedly not scared of this career-changing role and gave the very best of himself to Elvis.

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Not only did he sing most of the songs in the film himself and managed to portray the legendary singer credibly, he also played the guitar and piano, as was devoted to music since childhood. It was obvious that he enjoyed portraying Elvis. It is likely that his performance will be noticed by the Academy and he might receive an Oscar next year.

We could also expect nominations in the categories of the best costumes or best music. If you don't know much about Elvis, but you are interested in his story, Luhrmann will show you the most important thing in an impressive collage.