32: Elvis
Gareth Higgins on ELVIS
There’s a strange song in the even stranger album Passengers: Original Soundtracks Vol.1 (an experimental project by U2) called “Elvis Ate America”, but having watched Baz Luhrmann’s film about the Memphis wonder, it’s clear that America actually ate Elvis.
Or at least the worst parts of the idea of America - power for its own sake, glitter used to light up only other glitter, money not so much making the world go round as making its holders rounder.
It must be said that Austin Butler’s central performance is one of the most fully immersed embodiments of a historical figure ever filmed. Hard to tell if Butler is a great actor or simply the greatest (unironic) Elvis impersonator - but he captivates the audience, and holds his own against Tom Hanks as “Colonel” Tom Parker. It may be Hanks’ greatest performance too.
And if you like Luhrmann’s pastiche operas (Moulin Rouge!, The Great Gatsby), you’ll probably like Elvis too; though it may leave you less exhilarated than any of his previous films. Indeed, I’ve rarely felt as depressed after such a good time at the movies.
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