Elvis (2022)

Compared to other musical biopics that have hit the screen in recent years (Rocket Man, Bohemian Rhapsody), ‘Elvis’ is tad underwhelming. It is a solid film but Luhrmann’s direction failed to fully draw me in and impress.There is a lot to like about this film however. Austin Butler gives a truly terrific performance and thoroughly shines in the role. He is so charismatic and really embodies everything that Elvis was. Hanks on the other hand is reduced to a bit of a caricature which really didn’t work for me. A shame as I am normally a huge fan of Hanks but felt like this casting was a little off.Perhaps the biggest draw back for me was the style of film making. The opening 30-40 minutes were very chaotic. The non-linear story telling made the opening act feel unnecessarily messy. Once things were unravelled and we started progressing through Elvis’ life chronologically, things somehow felt drawn out yet fleeting at the same time. I think Luhrmann missed the mark on this one a bit.I also would have liked to have seen more from a musical perspective. At times the film had the wrong focus and I think it failed to capture just how and why Elvis became the icon he was.Despite this the film does a good job of exploring over 20 years of Elvis’ life, which is no mean feat. There are some fantastic sequences and brilliant costume work throughout.Elvis is a solid film and there is a lot to enjoy, but I was expecting more and feel like with such an interesting story to tell this film could have and should have been better.