Elvis

"To achive truly great things, one must make truly great sacrifices." - Colonel Tom Parker

release year: 2022
genre: drama
viewing setting: home streaming 1/30/23

synopsis: This biographical film follows the career of Elvis Presley from his youth through his success and eventually to his problem-ridden later years.

impressions: I'll admit it, I didn't know a whole lot about Elvis' life - it was just slightly before my time. This movie did a good job showing what made the guy tick, and how he started off as a kid with a passion, and eventually became a musical icon that no one would ever forget. I could argue that the movie focuses an awful lot (almost too much, perhaps) on the man who managed Elvis and was by all accounts greedy and manipulative. But the story is here and the music is great.

acting: Austin Butler does a fairly good job as Elvis; he isn't a dead ringer but has the mannerisms and movements down. Tom Hanks (who in this movie I kept referring to as "evil Tom Hanks") is the greedy and selfish manager. Olivia DeJonge is Elvis' young wife. Richard Roxburgh is his somewhat-clueless father. Helen Thomson is his overly-clingy/needy mother.

final word: Pretty good Elvis life story.

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