Elvis
Cert 15 | ★★★★✩

Visionary Aussie writer-director Baz Luhrmann (Strictly Ballroom, Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet) takes on the story of the mighty king of rock ‘n’ roll in this sparkling and brilliantly acted Elvis Presley biopic. Starring Austin Butler (Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, The Dead Don’t Die) as Elvis, the film tells the tragic story of the star’s troubled relationship with his manager, the infamous Colonel Tom Parker – played in the film by Tom Hanks – who is often accused of deliberately stunting the star’s career abroad.

Luhrmann and co-writers Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce and Jeremy Done deliver a fast-paced and expertly executed biopic which at times feels like the vivid fever dreams of the drug-addled star. As well as broaching the murky relationship between Presley and his famously slippery manager, the film also takes on, albeit often clumsily, the accusations of musical appropriation thrown at Presley thought his career.

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Tom Hanks delivers a suitably villainous turn as the scheming Colonel Tom Parker (Photo: Warner Bros)

From BB King (Kelvin Harrison Jr., brilliant as ever) to an electrifying Little Richard (Alton Mason), Luhrmann demonstrates the love his subject had for black music and the influences he picked up as a child growing up in a poor Memphis neighbourhood. And while there are some justifications offered, mostly pertaining to Parker’s dictatorial management style, the excuses given for the singer’s repeated failure to comment on civil-rights issues, often feel too convenient. Perhaps that’s understandable as Elvis’s family gave Luhrmann their approval.

Still, this is undeniably one of Luhrmann’s best films yet, and he has Butler to thank. It’s clear to see why Luhrmann opted for Butler’s relative obscurity over the superstar singer Harry Styles, who also auditioned – his own fame would have distracted. Butler delivers each sentence and hip thrust as if his life depended on it. Aussie actor Olivia DeJonge (Better Watch Out) gives an exquisite performance as Elvis’s wife Priscilla, while Hanks delivers a suitably villainous turn as the scheming colonel.

Although there’s nothing about Presley’s Jewish roots, there are plenty of references to Jewish TV producers Bob Finkel, Steve Binder and Billy Goldenberg who helped him back to the top thanks to his NBC comeback special which aired in 1968. At the heart of the film, there is a rather touching and sometimes bleak story about a very talented kid who fell prey to a man who saw him as a meal ticket.