Elvis: Worth Seeing, But Should Have Been Better!

Elvis was "The King" of Rock'N'Roll, at least until Beatlemania.  Directed by the "over-the-top" Baz Luhrmann, this film is a big spectacle with some wonderful moments, but it was way too long, frenetic, confusing, and lacked depth.  The main reasons to see it are the soundtrack and the spectacular, AAW performance by Austin Butler (Elvis).  Butler's performance is at least the equal of AA winner Rami Malek playing Freddy Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody." The film primarily covers Elvis' career from 1954-1977.  The songs up thru 1968 are sung entirely by Butler, while the songs from 1968-1977 are sung by a combination of Elvis and Butler, via a musical process called "stems."  (It's a complicated technical procedure, but it really worked well.)  Butler talks, walks, wiggles, and sings just like Elvis – it's amazing and uncanny just how well he re-incarnated "The King!"  The movie tells Elvis' tragic story from the perspective of his sociopathic Manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), who tries to deny that he stole millions from Elvis and made him so miserable in Las Vegas that Elvis turned to drugs, which eventually ruined his marriage to Priscilla (Olivia DeJonge). The film does a nice job revealing how Elvis growing up in a poor Black neighborhood in Memphis led to his immersion in Gospel, Blues, and Country music, which enabled him to create a totally unique and revolutionary hybrid sound that became Rock'N'Roll.  I hadn't realized what a break-thru Elvis' music was, since I was only about 6 when he hit the big time.  Elvis put sexuality in music.  He sang and moved "like a Black man," which offended many racial and puritan sensibilities all over the country.  Elvis even had to promise not to wiggle to get on some TV shows! Elvis' relationship with Parker is complex.  Elvis tried to escape his clutches a few times, but somehow Parker always reeled him back in.  I didn't care much for Hanks' portrayal, especially his Dutch accent, which sounded much like chalk on a black-board to me.  Elvis' relationship with Priscilla was neglected, I think to the film's detriment, despite it's 159-minute length. Bottom Line: If you are an Elvis fan or interested in Elvis, it's a MUST-SEE.  Although it's a good film, it should have been a great one.  It needs to be seen on the B.S. for the fabulous soundtrack, filled with many of Elvis' #1 hits.