By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
The King has arrived.
Austin Butler ("Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood") channels rock 'n' roll legend Elvis Presley to near perfection in the dazzling and soul-stirring biopic
"Elvis" from director
Baz Luhrmann ("Moulin Rouge! and "The Great Gatsby").
Luhrmann and co-screenwriter Sam Bromell (TV's "The Get Down") put everything into this captivating story. While it may not enlighten die-hard Presley fans, it sure is going to entertain them to no end.
As sensational as Butler is, you can't overlook
Tom Hanks' Tour de force performance either as Elvis' overreaching and opportunistic manager Col. Tom Parker. Parker (Hanks) opens/narrates the film from a hospital bed in Las Vegas. He has fallen ill and wants to set the record straight about his tumultuous relationship with Presley. He assures us that he made Presley. Despite all the malicious media headlines that have dogged him over the years, he claims to have always had the singer's best intentions at heart.
"Elvis," which clocks in at slightly over 2 1/2 hours, glides through the singer's life starting with his childhood in Tupelo, Mississippi, his upbringing with his strict mother Gladys (Helen Thomson, TV's "Fires") and father/promoter Vernon (Richard Roxburgh, TV's "The Crown"), his star turn at Sun Records in Memphis, the rocky marriage to Priscilla Presley (a terrific Olivia DeJonge, TV's "The Society") and their relationship with daughter Lisa Marie, as well as his final hit residency show in Las Vegas.
The movie effectively uses flashbacks to show how a young Presley became fascinated by soul and gospel music after going to Black church revivals and peering through the window of dive nightclubs. He saw and later hung out with musicians like B.B. King (Kelvin Harrison, Jr., "Luce" and "Waves"), Little Richard (Alton Mason), and Arthur Big Boy Crudup (Gary Clark Jr., TV's "Luke Cage").
Presley became one of the biggest singers in the world by recording the music of Black artists such as Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog." He made their songs far bigger hits than they ever could imagine. He also made them marketable and accessible for young white kids to buy and swivel their hips to.
One can't help but marvel at Presley's body of work and his illustrious career. However, it all came crashing down in spectacular fashion. His lavish lifestyle caught up with him as did the seemingly non-stop touring/shows. It wore him down especially when drugs and alcohol became part of the mix.
"Elvis" captures the highs and lows of the iconic performer and does so in grand fashion. There is never a dull moment in this movie.
Whether or not you are a fan of "The King," you'll be hard-pressed to find a more electrifying, stylish, and commanding performance than the one Austin Butler delivers here.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at 6:20 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Watch This Trailer For
"ELVIS"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
