The Masked Cinema 2022 - Elvis

Elvis is a long ass film, but that is nothing new for Baz Luhrmann.

Austin Butler as Elvis Presley alongside Tom Hanks as his manager Colonel Tom Parker, with Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Xavier Samuel, David Wenham, Kodi Smit-McPhee & Luke Bracey in supporting roles. 

Filming began in Australia in January 2020, but paused from March through September following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming wrapped over a year after it began, in March 2021.

Elvis premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 25, 2022, then was released on June 23, 2022.

The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with the musical sequences and Butler's performance garnering widespread acclaim.

Alongside Elvis hits, it was announced that Doja Cat would contribute an original song for the film, Vegas which incorporates elements from Big Mama Thornton's Hound Dog. 

The soundtrack also features variations on Presley material by  Måneskin, Kacey Musgraves, Eminem and CeeLo Green on a new track titled The King and I which will be produced by Dr. Dre. With Stevie Nicks, Jack White, Diplo, Swae Lee, PNAU and Austin Butler's renditions of Presley's songs, as well as actual recordings by Presley himself.

The first half of the film was amazing, visually spectacular with some incredible musical sequences. The second half through dragged a little as the film does clock in at almost 160 minutes!

You don't need to be a music fan to love Elvis. You do need to appreciate music, the lengths artists go to, to showcase their artistry. It's a hard watch at times with Colonel Tom Parker clearly only caring about himself.

Elvis didn't have a great life, his struggle with pills, being stuck in Las Vegas along with a clear bad diet by the end. At 42 Elvis had appeared on TV, film, while making songs still popular on various radio stations right now.

The soundtrack is a good listen to with Doja Cat's tune Vegas growing on me by the day. Is there anything Doja can't do? I am completely obsessed with her!

Anyway is Elvis worth using your last Dine or Discover voucher? Yes!

I enjoyed it, it is long, however it's the Luhrmann way. 3.5 Stars.