Film Snail

7.5

Elvis

PG-13·2022·159m

Drama

Music

History

Drama

Music

History

Summary

The life story of Elvis Presley as seen through the complicated relationship with his enigmatic 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

Kodi Smit-McPhee

Jimmie Rodgers 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 / Pentecostal Singer

Charles Grounds

Cousin Billy

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 Inspiratons - Myrna

Senayt Mebrahtu

Sweet Inspiratons - Estelle

Mariama Princess Andrews

Sweet Inspiratons - Cissy

Sharon Brooks

Sweet Inspiratons - Sylvia

Nicholas Bell

Senator Eastland

Anthony Phelan

Meyer Kohn

Sandro Colarelli

Tony Goochera

Cle Morgan

Mahalia Jackson

Charles D. Allen

Reverend Brewster

Natalie Bassingthwaighte

Dee Stanley

Liz Blackett

Grandma Dodger

Mike Bingaman

Sonny West

Christian McCarty

Red West

Tony Nixon

Dr. Nick

Andrea Moor

Nurse Tish

Mark Leonard Winter

Tom Hulett

Hugh Parker

Singer Senior Exec

Thomas Larkin

Singer Junior Exec

Hilton Hyppolite Denis

Claude Thompson

Christopher Sommers

Horace Logan

Brad Leaver

Chief of Police

Simon Mallory

NBC Floor Manager

Terepai Richmond

DJ Fontana

Alex Knight

Ron Tutt

Jordan A. Holland

Pentecostal Singer

Lenesha Randolph

Pentecostal Singer

Elizabeth Cullen

Natalie - Motel Girl

Angie Milliken

Madam Z

Luke Corrin Care

Aladdin Croupier

Jack McGirr

Tommy (Hayride)

Miranda Frangou

Nell (Tommy's Girlfriend)

Lakota Johnson

Young Hip Man

Ruby Gonzales-Judd

Girl (Russwood)

Greg Powell

Milton Berle

Patrick Shearer

DJ Dewey Philips

Sarah Ogden

Mrs. Eastland

Iain Gardiner

Carny Fixer

Melina Vidler

Barbara - Vegas Penthouse

Traneshia Chiles

Pentecostal Singer

Lauren McClinton

Pentecostal Singer

Gary Hale

Pentecostal Singer

Kellee Halford

Pentecostal Singer

Angela Hill

Pentecostal Singer

Jamiah Hudson

Pentecostal Singer

Norris Jones

Pentecostal Singer

Stephen R. Ladson

Pentecostal Singer

Alfreda McCrary

Pentecostal Singer

Angela McCrary

Pentecostal Singer

Beverly Ann McCrary

Pentecostal Singer

Keb' Mo'

Pentecostal Singer

Tamica Nicole

Pentecostal Singer

Marqo Patton

Pentecostal Singer

Robert Randolph

Pentecostal Singer

Calvin Settles II

Pentecostal Singer

Calvin V. Settles Sr.

Pentecostal Singer

Ira Wayne Settles Sr.

Pentecostal Singer

Odessa L. Settles

Pentecostal Singer

Sara Settles

Pentecostal Singer

Shirley M. Settles

Pentecostal Singer

Jacqueline Smith-Jefferson

Pentecostal Singer

Torshia Suggs

Pentecostal Singer

Cameron Keith Walls

Pentecostal Singer

Andrea Baker

Pentecostal Singer

Libe Barer

Pentecostal Singer

Doug Burch

Pentecostal Singer

Cathy Cavadini

Pentecostal Singer

Sam Arnold

US Navy Sailor (uncredited)

Crew

Director, Screenplay, Story

Baz Luhrmann

Screenplay

Craig Pearce

Screenplay

Sam Bromell

Screenplay, Story

Jeremy Doner

Reviews

Geronimo1967

June 26, 2022

After about ten minutes, I was both exhausted and terrified. Was what I had just seen - colourful but frenetic and haphazard going to continue? Well, it does calm down - and continues to quite cleverly interweave the early years and aspirations of this young boy with the openly racist political situation that prevailed in the Southern United States in the early 1940s. From here on in, I am treating this as a provocative and entertaining but entirely speculative drama about this man. Historians always argue about what did happen - or what might have, and I haven't any factual insight to add. On that basis, this is a quickly paced and creatively structured depiction of the main points of the life of Elvis. Austin Butler has an uncanny resemblance. As was often said of Dustin Hoffman, it's a fine line between mimicry and acting, but here I think Butler is more in the latter corner. He puts enormous effort into this portrayal. Physically and emotionally he gives convincingly of his all, leaving us in no doubt as to the talents and raw charisma that drove Presley to sell more records than anyone else. History tells us that he was discovered, and that until his death he had a pretty turbulent relationship with his promoter - Col. Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). Hanks is fine, no better. His make up did distract me, especially as he aged, and his accent isn't the best; but he features surprisingly sparingly even if he is essentially relaying the narrative to us. Virtually all of this focusses on the excellent Butler as he demonstrates the highs and low of this man who ended up craving love and adulation as readily as anyone can crave drugs or booze (though he used his fair share of them too). I could have done with more flesh on the bones of his relationship with his mother and his wife, but the depictions of the parasitic hangers-on who continually bleed him dry leave us with a potent image of a not unintelligent man who brought pleasure to millions with his gyrating, his songs and his personality, but maybe didn't keep that much back for himself. It's planet Baz, so of course it is flamboyant and busy, the musical numbers are fluid and full of energy. Once it settles down it is a vibrant and lively effort that really does fly by and that I really did enjoy.