ELVIS

When you leave the movie theatre you still have no idea who Elvis Presley is and what makes him tick.

Like all Baz Luhrmann films Elvis has flair and energy to spare. If only it had anything meaningful to say.

The nearly three-hour picture tells the life of the King of Rock N' Roll from the cradle to the grave and yet when you leave the movie theatre you still have no idea who Elvis Presley is and what makes him tick.

Part of the problem lies in the clumsy narrative, which takes a Wikipedia approach to Elvis' life, giving you all the highlights and the low points but skipping the character evolution in between. Elvis isn't helped either by a narrative framing device - borrowed from infinitely superior music legend biopic Amadeus - that shows initial promise but then goes missing in action for large chunks of the film.

As for the performances, Austin Butler does a decent job at mimicking Elvis but it remains just that: a riff on a legendary persona without a beating heart underneath. But the gaudiest element of Elvis is Tom Hanks. Covered in prosthetics and poorly attempting a Dutch accent, his Colonel Parker ranks easily among Hanks' very worst performances.

release: 2022

director: Baz Luhrmann

starring: Tom Hanks, Austin Butler, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson