Elvis
Release Date: 23rd June 2022 - Australia
Production Companies
Warner Bros. Pictures (presents)
Bazmark Films
The Jackal Group
Whalerock Industries
Distribution
Universal Pictures Australia
Genre: Musical/Drama
Rating: M
Runtime: 159 minutes
Budget: $85,000,000
Box Office Gross: $288,670,284 (Worldwide)
Plot Summary
Based on the true story of how Elvis Presley rose to fame. It also details his complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
Cast
Austin Butler - Elvis Presley
Tom Hanks - Colonel Tom Parker
Olivia DeJonge - Priscilla
Helen Thomson - Gladys Presley
Richard Roxburgh - Vernon Presley
Kelvin Harrison Jr. - B.B. King
David Wenham - Hank Snow
Luke Bracey - Jerry Schilling
Dacre Montgomery - Steve Binder
Leon Ford - Tom Diskin
Gary Clark Jr. - Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup
Yola - Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Natasha Bassett - Dixie Locke
Xavier Samuel - Scotty Moore
Adam Dunn - Bill Black
Alton Mason - Little Richard
Shonka Dukureh - Big Mama
Thornton/Pentecostal Singer
David Gannon - Charlie Hodge
Shannon Sanders - Pentecostal
Pastor/Singer
Josh McConville - Sam Phillips
Kate Mulvany - Marion Keisker
Gareth Davies - Bones Howe
Chaydon Jay - Young Elvis
Christian Kisando - Shake Rag Friend - Smoky
John Mukristayo - Shake Rag Friend - Jimmy
Miles Burton - Shake Rag
Friend - Bobby
Gad Banza - Shake Rag
Friend - Doc
Aristene Kisando - Sweet
Inspirations - Myrna
Senayt Mebrahtu - Sweet
Inspirations - Estelle
Andrews - Sweet Inspirations - Cissy
Sharon Brooks - Sweet
Inspirations - Sylvia
Nicholas Bell - Senator Eastland
Anthony Phelan - Meyer Kohn
Sandro Colarelli - Tony Goochera
Cle Morgan - Mahalia Jackson
Charles Allen - Reverend Brewster
Natalie Bassingthwaighte -
Dee Stanley
Mike Bingaman - Sonny West
Christian McCarthy - Red West
Tony Nixon - Dr. Nick
Andrea Moor - Nurse Tish
Mark Leonard Winter - Tom Hulett
Hilton Hyppolite Denis - Claude Thompson
Christopher Sommers - Horace Logan
Terepai Richmond - DJ Fontana
Alex Knight - Ron Tutt
Elizabeth Cullen - Natalie - Motel Girl
Angie Milliken - Madam Z
Luke Corrin Care - Aladdin Croupier
Jack McGirr - Tommy (Hayride)
Miranda Frangou - Nell - Tommy's Girlfriend
Ruby Gonzales-Judd - Girl (Russwood)
Greg Powell - Milton Berle
Patrick Shearer - DJ Dewey Phillips
Sarah Ogden - Mrs. Eastland
Melina Vidler - Barbara - Vegas Penthouse
Crew
Story/Screenplay/Producer/Director -
Baz Luhrmann
Story/Screenplay - Jeremy Doner
Screenplay - Sam Bromell and Craig Pearce
Executive Producers - Toby Emmerich,
Kevin McCormick, Andrew Mittman
and Courtenay Valenti
Producers - Gail Berman and Schuyler Weiss
Producer/Unit Production Manager -
Patrick McCormick
Producer/Production/Costume
Designer/Titles Concept Design -
Catherine Martin
Casting - Nikki Barrett and Denise Chaiman
Movement Coach and Choreographer -
Polly Bennett
Production Designer - Karen Murphy
Supervising Art Director - Ian Gracie
Art Directors - Tuesday Stone and
Matt Wynne
Set Decorators - Shaun Barry,
Beverly Dunn and Daniel Reader
Property Master - Richie Dehne
Special Makeup Effects Supervisor -
Jason Baird
Special Makeup Effects Designer -
Mark Coulier
Hair/Makeup Designer - Shane Thomas
Director of Photography - Mandy Walker
Stunt Coordinator - Glenn Ruehland
Special Effects Supervisor - Brian Cox
Visual Effects Supervisor - Tom Wood
Editors - Jonathan Redmond and Matt Villa
Re-Recording Mixer/Sound Designer/
Supervising Sound Editor - Wayne Pashley
Supervising Sound Effects Editor - Fabian Sanjurjo
Sound Recordist - David Lee
Re-Recording Mixers - Greg P. Fitzgerald,
Michael Keller, Michael Minkler and
Andy Nelson
Music and Executive Music Producer -
Elliott Wheeler
Music Producer - François Tétaz
Music Supervisor - Anton Monsted
Score Recordist and Mixer - Geoff Foster
Review
People from each generation, young and old, are impacted by the late Elvis Presley and how he changed rock n' roll music before the Beatles. Ever since his untimely death in 1977, there have been several biopics, including a TV movie by John Carpenter with Kurt Russell as the King. Everything changed when Baz Luhrmann, the director of Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby, brought his version of Elvis' life story to the silver screen. It is because the success of Bohemian Rhapsody sparked a trend for musical biopics that came out in recent years. The latest that jumped on the bandwagon was Luhrmann's pet project, ELVIS. However, it had a turbulent production due to its actor Tom Hanks and his wife being tested positive for COVID-19, which delayed filming as the pandemic occurred until it resumed.
A wild, energetic, show-stopping dazzler, ELVIS is a glamourous retake of the legendary King of Rock n' Roll. The story was decent, but there are some historical inaccuracies. I wasn't surprised that the film started from the perspective of Elvis' manager when it should've revolved around the King instead. I was glad that Baz Luhrmann was the right director to pull this biopic, though I've only seen Australia and none of his other films. Still, he always brought a musical element of style and energy into his motion pictures.
All the actors in this movie are naturally Australian (except for Tom Hanks). Austin Butler delivers an electrifying performance as the King by channelling his energy. He captured the singer's intense physique, charisma, stage presence, accent and mannerisms, which shows how much Elvis was a famous and electrifying performer in his heyday. Tom Hanks wore a fat suit and fake nose to portray Elvis' despicable manager, Colonel Tom Parker. He did well, but taking his performance seriously with the unnecessary prosthetics and the weird accent is hard. Olivia DeJonge was terrific in her role as the woman Priscilla, who would fall in love with Elvis and become his wife.
The musical performances were staged and well-choreographed and were a highlight for me. The music has a modern feel but maintains that distinctive sound of rock n' roll that Elvis brought in the 1950s.
I can't tell you how much this movie reminds me of my admiration for Elvis and my fondness for some of his music. ELVIS is a great movie that shook up all long-time fans of the King. I highly recommend it to people who are yet to know about Elvis. I hope they will make a biopic of either Michael Jackson or The Beatles, which will be good.
Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie
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