When I realised this was going to be made by Baz Luhrmann my heart sank. I don't rate him as a director and feel his films are style over substance to the max.
The first hour of this film is an absolute mess but finds it rhythm when the action moves to the comeback special and on to Las Vegas.
Austin Butler was a fantastic piece of casting and he flings himself into the role. Tom Hanks does his thing with ease but it's not much of a stretch for him.
What really annoyed me was the way the music was treated. Remixes, hip hop beats and rap verses are added to Elvis' songs and it is totally unnecessary. The songs were good enough as they were.
Also, the opening of the '68 comeback special is one of the most iconic moments in rock and roll but Luhrmann decides to go with a totally different song. I guess he knows better.
The film does some things right, the stage at the International is lovingly recreated and the make up effects are spot on but overall it's not as good as the sum of its parts and will NOT go down as the definitive Elvis biopic.
The first hour of this film is an absolute mess but finds it rhythm when the action moves to the comeback special and on to Las Vegas.
Austin Butler was a fantastic piece of casting and he flings himself into the role. Tom Hanks does his thing with ease but it's not much of a stretch for him.
What really annoyed me was the way the music was treated. Remixes, hip hop beats and rap verses are added to Elvis' songs and it is totally unnecessary. The songs were good enough as they were.
Also, the opening of the '68 comeback special is one of the most iconic moments in rock and roll but Luhrmann decides to go with a totally different song. I guess he knows better.
The film does some things right, the stage at the International is lovingly recreated and the make up effects are spot on but overall it's not as good as the sum of its parts and will NOT go down as the definitive Elvis biopic.
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