Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Film Premiere’s to 12 minute Standing Ovation at Cannes 2022
Movie Review: Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' Film | Cannes 2022
Reported by: Taylor Lynn
Baz Luhrmann, the maestro director behind Romeo +Juliet (1996), Moulin Rouge! (2001) and The Great Gatsby (2013), dives back into his love affair with American music after his Netflix series The Get Down with Elvis (2022), a loosely based biography of the King of Rock and Roll and arguably one of the most famous personalities of the 20th century. Starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks, the film charts Elvis’s rise to fame and fortune and his rocky relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
Baz Luhrmann Triumphs with Elvis at Cannes Film Festival 2022
Luhrmann is no stranger to period pieces and in his latest outing as well, Luhrmann brings his A-game to the table. From the sets to the lighting and from the music to the costumes, everything looks authentic, lively and perfect. It is as if one has stepped back into the 60s and 70s and Luhrmann makes it known once again that he loves exploring and diving deep into the mythos of the timelessness of American music, a task that he has accomplished with poise and grace time and time again.
Austin Butler as Elvis Presley is a revelation and Tom Hanks as his manager, Colonel Tom Parker is unrecognisable. With groove, swerve and a whole lot of dazzling energy, Butler transforms into the King with ease, shaking and dancing his way to inevitable stardom. The young actor has definitely put himself on the map with this role of a lifetime. Equally impressive is Hanks as Tom Parker. With prosthetics and a thick Southern accent, Hanks shows his acting prowess at full display, perfectly complementing the manic energy of his co-star Butler. With Olivia DeJonge, Dacre Montgomery and Kodi Smit McPee rounding out the supporting cast, the film displays a powerhouse of acting performances that perfectly capture the time of the King.
Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner’s screenplay does a good job of compressing the two decades worth of happenings around the superstar into an almost three hour film. Whether the film accurately captures the zany energy of one of the most famous pop culture phenomena of all time is up for debate, what is pretty clear is that Luhrmann’s film is a damn good time at the movies. With the plot racing at breakneck pace, there is not a single moment of boredom to be had throughout the entire runtime and with the cast and crew firing on all cylinders, the film is best experienced on the biggest screen available.
Electric, energetic and above all, entertaining; Elvis is another home run by the venerable Luhrmann whose labours on his previous outings have all led to this. Stylistic, over the top and a whole lot of fun, Elvis does the King of Rock and Roll justice at a time when the world has somewhat started to forget about him. While sometimes the film may delve too deep into the style over substance narrative, it is nevertheless an electrifying ride, one that will leave the audiences grooving everywhere. Elvis opens exclusively in theatres June 24, 2022.