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• Release date:  24th june 2022
• Running time: 2 hours 39 Minutes
• Directed by: Baz LUHRMANN
• Starring: Austin BUTLER, Tom HANKS, Olivia DeJONGE, Helen THOMSON
• Genres: Biopic musical

Synopsis – Elvis

From Oscar-nominated visionary filmmaker Baz Luhrmann comes Warner Bros. Pictures’ drama “Elvis,” starring Austin Butler and Oscar winner Tom Hanks. The film explores the life and music of Elvis Presley (Butler), seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Hanks). The story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the most significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).

The King is not dead! This film is the proof. Through Austin BUTLER, Elvis lives again. The tour de force of the film and the actor lies in the fact that if we see that it is not Elvis on the screen. If we know that it is not Elvis on the screen, we have, in spite of everything, the sensation that he is present throughout the film. It is a feat of the director and the actor.

In addition to this incredible performance, as soon as the credits roll, we find the spirit of Baz LUHRMANN and his credo of freedom, beauty, truth and love. The magic comes to life from the first notes. Several shivers will follow during the screening thanks to the richness of the shots that we know from the director, thanks to the ultra neat soundtrack. We will note the sound of Elvis enriched with screams and acid guitars. A sublime line of violins on Can’t help falling in love. An improbable Fever. A rap of Eminem on Presley… In addition to the titles of Elvis Presley, the feature film also makes us discover other soundtracks. We can’t wait for a musical!

We also find the art and the way that LUHRMANN has to tease his character with class. Elvis is not only a tribute to the artist, it is also a tribute to the previous films of the director who tells, here again, a bohemian life.

The genres are mixed. We see for example the 7th art cohabit with the 9th art. Several times, the film is made of comic strip paper, newspaper … But above all, each shot, each scene enjoys a different aesthetic. A seductive maelstrom of images.

But let’s come back to BUTLER, this guy has an ineffable aura. It was necessary to find the actor who gives off an indecent beauty, who knows how to reproduce that smile from the corner of his lips. Even his intonations, his accent, his low tones sound just right. He doesn’t play Elvis, he becomes Elvis. He doesn’t play the sex symbol, he becomes the sex symbol. He plays an Elvis strong as a rock, fragile as a child. He is luminous and demonic. He bursts the screen with a look that will capture anyone. Thus, one can say that an icon can give birth to a star decades later.

As for Tom HANKS: Bluffing in his physical transformation but also in a role where we are not used to see him.

The close-ups on the details, the swirling low-angle shots, the admirable settings, the hallucinating costumes. Several times, one is overwhelmed…

Baz LUHRMANN never misses his target by releasing a masterpiece every ten years… More than a masterpiece, the movie Elvis is a monument.

Aurélien.