Most gold and platinum albums. Most albums charted on the Billboard 200. Most number-one albums by a solo artist on the UK Albums Chart. Elvis Presley’s musical legacy still lives on to this day, and Baz Luhrmann’s new biopic Elvis shows that legacy and all that it involved. 

   The movie shows Elvis’ life as well as the life of his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. The film portrays Presely and Parker’s relationship in a way that many viewers had never seen before. It explores Parker’s financial abuse of Elvis and shows what was going on behind the scenes at both the high and low points of the singer’s career.

   I thought that this was a new and inventive way to look at Elvis’ career. So often we only hear about the glamor that comes with being a musician, but we cover up the ugly parts of the story. Elvis showed those parts that may be considered unsavory and it did it in full throttle. The movie showed what was really going on as Elvis took the stage, and what his constant performing eventually cost him.

   The movie stars former child star Austin Butler and world renowned actor Tom Hanks. Both actors had great chemistry and worked well together, making their on screen relationship all the more believable. The movie was directed by Baz Luhramnn, whose previous films include Romeo + Juliet and The Great Gatsby. 

   This was one of my favorite movies of all time. The actors and actresses were amazing, the soundtrack was diverse, while still being mostly made up of Elvis songs, and the cinematography was beautiful.   However, the main thing that stood out to me was that you did not have to be an Elvis fan to enjoy this movie. I walked into the theater with my only knowledge of Elvis being that he was a popular singer in the fifties and sixties and that he died of an overdose. I did not expect to enjoy the movie as I do not care for blues music. However, from the first minutes of the film to the heartbreaking end I was captivated. I was transported into another time, one where the most popular singer in the world was a boy who everyone underestimated. A time where people came from all over the globe to go to Las Vegas and see Elvis Presley. The story was immersive and the two hours and forty minutes flew by. 

   Butler truly shines in this movie. The actor was entirely believable and every thing he did seemed like something that the real Elvis would do. It was obvious that months and months of hard work went into his preparation for this role. Butler shared in an interview that he began to adopt the accent of the late singer before he even started rehearsals to make his voice sound just like Presley’s. If that is not dedication to a role then I do not know what is. 

   Another notable thing from the movie was the cinematography. The movie was shot in such a way that you couldn’t help but admire the camera angles and lighting as you watched. I don’t think that most people pay attention to the technical aspects of most movies, but the creative team of Elvis made it impossible not to notice it. Parts of the movie were edited together in an almost choppy manner, with the screen flashing from one scene to another, but it seemed intentional and only furthered the immersive experience of the movie. 

   The movie had an amazing aesthetic which some people might not appreciate, but I think it is very important. Some lighting choices, such as the bright lights, and color schemes were consistent throughout the whole film giving it a unique and easily recognizable look. 

   One of the most amazing things about the movie was the soundtrack. As you would expect in a movie about Elvis Presely, most of the songs were ones that the last singer performed, but other songs were included as well. Each of these songs were perfectly selected and added a note of diversity to the movie. The instrumental soundtrack was brilliant as well and perfectly captured the tone of each scene. 

   Overall, Elvis is a riveting film that perfectly captures the life and legacy of one of the world’s greatest singers.