#29 ELVIS

Starring Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, Kelvin Harrison Jr, Xavier Samuel, David tragedy, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Lucy Bracey. Written by Baz Luhrmann, Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce, Jeremy Doner. Directed by Baz Luhrmann. Budget $85 million. Running time 160 minutes.

This is the classic Hollywood bio-pic, the rags-to-riches rise of the King of Rock 'n' Roll, the one, the only Elvis (The Pelvis) Presley from dirt-poor Memphis urchin to global megastar dead at the age of 42.

Whether you like this film or not depends on whether you like the man's music or not. If you do, then this greatest hits compilation album of a film will give you all your favourites hits from his entire career and will have you singing along too. Indeed, this is the sort of film that will either re-ignite your love for the man or confirm how much you hate his music. 

I find it's getting harder with modern films to detect any unique directional style from film makers, there's nothing to separate Jurassic Park Domino from Morbius, Unchartered, or Fantastic Beasts, they all just become one massive homogenised visual sludge. Which isn't something you can say about the work of Baz Luhrmann. He may have only made five movies so far in his career, but his visual style is so fantastically unique and dynamic that you know when you're watching one of his movies. This is a beautifully looking, crafted and structured film and Baz stages some stunning reconstructions of Elvis' career, none more so than his triumphant 1968 TV special and his first Las Vegas show.

Austin Butler is a terrific choice for Elvis, although he's perhaps a little skinny but his performance as Elvis is incredible and he almost perfectly captures Elvis's unique brooding sexuality. 

Likewise Tom Hanks excels as Colonel Tom Paker or 'The Admiral' as Elvis calls him, both men seem committed to portraying their characters as convincingly as possible, warts and all.

Elvis's life may have been brief, dying at the age of 42 was a terrible tragedy, but bloody hell did he burn so very, very brightly.  

This is a long film and there are problems with it. The energy wanes at points,  Elvis is presented as being almost too saintly, his demons are hinted at but not explored too greatly, and some aspects of his life, like his movie career, his excesses and his dalliances are all dealt with far too quickly. But those performances, particularly his simply staggering Las Vegas gig, TV special and first gigs are all so fantastically mounted and performed that you're just swept up by it all. Honestly, I'd always thought he'd become a joke by the time of his Las Vegas residency, but when you watch how he worked to develop them and his performances you're left staggered by what a showman he truly was. 

An exhilarating and thoroughly enjoyable movie that just reminds you how pure and astonishing was Elvis Presley in his prime. 

8/10