Elvis
Overview
Elvis is a 2022 biographical musical drama film directed by Baz Luhrmann, starring Austin Butler as Elvis Presley and Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis's manipulative, controlling manager. The film spans Elvis's life from his childhood in Tupelo, Mississippi, to his rise to fame in the 1950s, his military service, his Hollywood career, his comeback in the 1960s, his Las Vegas residency, and his death in 1977. The film is told from the perspective of Colonel Parker, who is an unreliable narrator. Parker is a Dutch immigrant who changed his name and invented a past. He is a carnival barker, a grifter, and a Svengali. He controls every aspect of Elvis's life, from his music to his movies to his relationships. He takes 50% of Elvis's earnings, and he keeps Elvis trapped in a cycle of debt. The film is a maximalist, hyperkinetic, and visually dazzling spectacle, with Luhrmann's signature style: quick cuts, split screens, and anachronistic music. The film is also a tragedy, the story of a talented, sensitive, and lonely man who is exploited and destroyed by the people around him. Austin Butler gives a transformative performance, singing, dancing, and capturing Elvis's charisma and vulnerability. He won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama, and he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Elvis was a critical and commercial success, earning over $287 million worldwide. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
