'Elvis' movie review: An ode to a legend

Elvis

Énglish (Theatres)

Cast: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Dacre Montgomery

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Rating: 4/5

Elvis, the sensation! The man, the myth, the legend. No-one could come close to imitating him, they said. Well, perhaps in a fashion, Austin Butler has done just that with his portrayal of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll Elvis Presley. 'Elvis', the movie that got itself a 12-minute long standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, is out in theaters. Is it worth the wait?

Austin Butler has managed to paint the larger than life picture of Elvis. His performance is definitely one of the highlights of the movie. He captures all of Elvis’ different voices and tones throughout the many phases of his life. Butler is convincing when he shows us the connection Elvis shared with his mother, wife, and fans. He manages to convey Elvis’ star appeal but also makes sure we feel the singer's humanness by showing us the grief and anguish that Elvis felt.

The movie had the difficult job of covering all the phases of Elvis’ roller coaster, colourful life. Director Baz Luhrmann has risen to the task and delivered. 'Elvis' has all the ingredients of a solid musical and biopic. Luhrmann's style of direction is in the extreme, you either love it or hate it.

One wishes the film stuck to the actual Elvis throughout its runtime. Sometimes, the film focuses too much on Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis’ manager, so much so that he is film's narrator at some points. On the positive side, veteran Tom Hanks owns this role, always keeping us invested in his performance.

The movie sets off at an incredible pace but there are portions that crawl a bit and it doesn't prepare us for its abrupt ending. But if you look at it one way, the climax does justice to the suddenness of Elvis' death. The addition of hip hop remixes of Elvis' music during the credits is interesting as it highlights the roots of Elvis' music.

The movie is an ode to culture, music and above all Elvis. Luhrmann’s over-the-top directing style matches the flamboyant screen presence of Austin Butler. Just like Elvis burst into the pop culture of the 60s, the movie explodes in front of our eyes and stays dramatic throughout.