Elvis (2022)

Making a bio about anyone this prominent is practically asking for trouble. It might tell us nothing new or fudge well-known facts. Considering Baz Luhrman's penchant for anachronisms, I fully expected the latter. Still, he must have done something right -- if only not getting in the way too much -- for his flick to garner eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.

If there's one way this stands out from most musician biopics, it's the first-person narration by the musician's manager, honorary Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). He discovers Elvis Presley (Austin Butler) when the latter has become a local sensation, young enough to require contract signatures from his parents (Helen Thomson and Richard Roxburgh). The partnership spells a lot of fame and income, but the two lock horns a lot. Tom seems to mean well when he demands that Elvis dial back the popular yet controversial elements, not so much when he won't let Elvis tour overseas because Tom immigrated illegally and has to make up gambling debts with Vegas performances.

Not that Elvis is flawless in his own right, taking to overuse of legal drugs, adultery, irresponsible spending, and family neglect that his wife Priscilla (Olivia DeJong) won't abide. But even Tom's narrated bid for absolution paints himself as the closest thing to a major villain. That points to some of the chief causes of complaints people have about the movie: It's not really fair to the real guy, and it doesn't follow through properly on his perspective. Indeed, the telling is reportedly never less accurate than when it concerns him.

Also, for what feels like the first time in decades, Hanks tanks. Not only does he not bring the usual charm, but his attempt at a Dutch accent is both oddly thick for a man who spent so long in the U.S. and too inconsistent to escape many listeners' notice. Butler far eclipses him for perceived authenticity.

That's as good a note as any for switching to the bright side. The film does capture what made Elvis such a hit in both youth and middle age. Yes, the provocative parts are old hat now; nobody minds a White singer taking cues from Black ones except maybe as "cultural appropriation," and an explicitly raunchy dance in a devil costume doesn't draw arrest threats like the old pelvic wiggles once did. (Had they really begun by accident?) But we can still enjoy his voice, music style, and flashy presentation, especially next to contemporaries such as Hank Snow (David Wenham). No wonder most of the Oscar nods pertain to audiovisuals.

Elvis doesn't make me more or less of an Elvis fan. It makes for an up and down 159 minutes. I like to think it's mostly up, possibly vindicating its success. Certainly not bad for Luhrman.