It’s been a little less than a year and a half since we got Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic with Austin Butler.
At first glance, one could easily assume it is poor timing to have another film about the king of rock n roll, but that is not the situation. The title of the film itself should prove that the film is not about Elvis, but his wife Priscilla.
There are many differences between the two films. So many in fact I was not able to keep count. There are no flashbacks, as we immediately meet teenaged Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny) in Germany where her army Captain father (Ari Cohen) is stationed. At the local soda shop, she is told that Elvis, who is homesick, is looking for american girls to come over to make him feel more at ease.
When we first see Elvis (Jacob Elordi), it is virtually impossible not to notice one crucial aspect: he is tall. After the movie, I did double check the heights (via IMDB) of the real Elvis and Priscilla: 5’ 11 ¾ “ and 5’ 4” respectively. For the actors, Elordi is 6’5” and Spaeny is 5’ 1”.
Yeah, that is a big difference, though it is never addressed in the film.
Suffice it to say, even with the decade long age difference (though in real life Elordi is only a year older than Spaeny), Elvis’s intentions are clear but somewhat honorable. Eventually, Priscilla moves into Graceland (something no parent would ever allow these days) to be closer to Elvis as well as finish her schooling. When Elvis is away (either on tour or making a movie), Priscilla is basically confined to Graceland (Spaeny’s height does help in demonstrating how dwarfed she must be feeling.)
Since the film is indeed about Priscilla and not the King of Rock n Roll, we don’t get any musical performances from the latter. This is (somewhat unsurprisingly) due to director Sophia Coppola’s focus not on the legend of Elvis but on a young woman’s journey through being introduced to the life of a celebrity. Aside from her days at school, we only truly see her interacting with Elvis.
This leads to the main component of the film: the chemistry between both Elordi and Spaeny. Simply put, it works for the most part (despite the aforementioned height difference). My prior experience of Elordi’s work was only that in 2018’s The Kissing Booth (apparently it was a trilogy, but the first one was more than enough for me). Spaeny is even more mysterious to me, as this is really her breakthrough role despite minor roles in films like Vice (2018). She may not get much awards consideration, but her ability to be both subtle and emotionally visible is rather impressive.
Parents, I am not sure there are kids who would be clammering to see this film (I was easily the youngest at my screening), unless they think it is a rom com of some kind with these stars. Either way, the film has some mild swearing (maybe on F bomb) and one scene of sexuality (no nudity). Make of that what you will.
The most crucial difference between last year’s Elvis film and this is the lack of Col Tom Parker (the former featured one of the most obscure Tom Hanks performances in recent times). Aside from him being a truly unlikable character, Coppola makes this wise choice so we don’t get the attention focused on Elvis. The film is about how an encounter with celebrities would change anyone’s lives, for better or worse.
Even when we leave their lives, when they are always on our minds.
Overall:
Nothing else to say 