"Elvis" (2022) - Baz Luhrmann Film Reviews/Discussion!

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by EternalReturn, Feb 14, 2022.

  1. artfromtex

    artfromtex Honky Tonkin' Metal-Head

    Location:
    Fort Worth, TX
    Tab was nasty.

    Fresca is awesome.
     
  2. GillyT

    GillyT Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wellies, N.Z
    I disagree (see post #4488):)
     
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  3. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    I understand your point about Elvis having a more set image in the public mind, but my comments meant that Elton as written offered a more challenging role than Elvis on the page.

    I mean, Elvis is barely the main character in his own movie - there's an awful lot of time spent with Colonel Tom as well.

    Both movies rush through their subjects' lives, but I think Elton gets more of an arc and is portrayed as a real person in a more dimensional way.

    I actually think "Elvis" is a better movie than "Rocketman", but Elton gets a more complex role in that movie than Elvis does in his... :shrug:
     
  4. RSteven

    RSteven Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brookings, Oregon
    Here is another fantastic interview with Austin Butler. This young lady really makes a nice connection with Austin. Notice how after she mentions she has had If I Can Dream on repeat since seeing the movie, Austin asked her if she had ever heard the song before. She had not. You can see how he is taking in the fact that this bright, young journalist is probably an Elvis fan for life now.

    I also love the way he completely tries to avoid the Oscar buzz surrounding the film. His own modesty and probably not wanting to jinks his own chances are clearly at play here. I also like the fact that he knows two of the hardest songs to sing in Elvis's great cannon are American Trilogy and Unchained Melody. Austin is a more than a decent vocalist and also can play both the guitar and the piano, just like Elvis himself.

     
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  5. Price.pittsburgh

    Price.pittsburgh Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    Just my opinion, but when people say they have never heard If I Can Dream until the movie, it just floors me. To me, when they say that, what they're really saying is they haven't really heard any Elvis songs by choice. Maybe a few hits in passing, and most of those were probably in movies where the director uses and Elvis song for a scene, then they look up what the song is, or in a commercial, such as There's Always Me for Apple Facetime. I understand If I Can Dream is not the most common hit of Elvis and it hasn't been played in films for folks to say "Oh what is that song". Still, It's on a lot of comps such as 50 Worldwide Gold Hits, Gold Records Vol 5, 2nd To None, 50 Greatest Hits and The Essential Elvis Presley. It's been on iTunes, Amazon and all streaming services for many years. The video has been on YouTube from jump and there's been a lot of reaction videos for it long before the movie. You'd think they would have heard it in passing from a friend or family member. The reason they haven't is because they don't hang out with Elvis fans. That is fine, but don't act like you were already a respecting Elvis person before you saw the movie. Just be honest and say I knew nothing about Elvis before this movie. Not his songs, singing ability, films, television appearances or personal life. Just say, "Hey, for whatever reason, I didn't care to learn anything about Elvis but now I do, thanks to the movie.
     
  6. GillyT

    GillyT Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wellies, N.Z
    I agree with you that the film feels rushed at times due to the arc of the story, but I can’t agree that Butler’s role was less challenging or complex than the Elton role, which I think was rather cliched. If anything I take the opposite view. Here's why and apologies for being long-winded! :)

    I appreciate the film's visual language. Example: when Marion Keisker sashays into the studio and flicks that switch, so much is communicated by that one action - an especially important detail for anyone not familiar with the story. She’s not just a secretary - she acts with authority and commands respect from Sam.

    Likewise the scenes before and after the Steve Allen show, point to the moment when Elvis begins to lose control of his career - in particular the scene where Elvis tears off his tux, before he and Scotty exchange heated words. That scene and the next, when Elvis drives through the gates of Graceland and avoids eye contact, illustrates the shame and humiliation of selling out for the first time - devastating for a guy who Sam Phillips said was one of the poorest he ever recorded and one of the most insecure people he ever met.

    It foreshadows the much more significant sellout of the movie years and beyond, as Elvis proves to be unwilling/unable to stand up to the Colonel. It's also the first film to contextualize Elvis' drug addiction in a way that invokes empathy rather than judgement. I think Baz’ decision to tell the story from the Colonel’s POV was inspired, because the misjudgements and erratic twists and turns of Elvis’ career make no sense if he’s sidelined in the story.

    Prior to Elvis, we had reached a point in the culture where Elvis’ music/artistry were no longer central to any discussion about him - if at all - unlike Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Freddy Mercury and Elton John, whose artistry is taken for granted. Baz stated in interview after interview that he set out to address the perception of Elvis as a Halloween costume, head-on. How do you persuade an audience to care? You can tell them, but its much more effective to show them how exciting Elvis was as an artist and performer. If Austin Butler made it look effortless then kudos to him.

    There's a film somewhere down the road which will dig deeper, but the re-set needed to come first. My nephew said he felt like giving the film a standing ovation at the end because it accorded Elvis respect. I'm with him.
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2022
  7. RSteven

    RSteven Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brookings, Oregon
    Your outstanding posts on this movie sometimes gives me chills because they are so well written and always seem to hit at the heart of the matter. I highlighted this paragraph above for emphasis, but the whole post is well worth rereading, which I plan to do several more times.
     
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  8. GillyT

    GillyT Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wellies, N.Z
    Thanks buddy. :wave:
     
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  9. artfromtex

    artfromtex Honky Tonkin' Metal-Head

    Location:
    Fort Worth, TX
    :righton:
     
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  10. Price.pittsburgh

    Price.pittsburgh Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    That's an interesting scene because the way I took it, after a couple of viewings, was that right after she flips the switch and they show her and Sam looking through the window, we are not immediately after the flip of the switch waiting for Elvis to sing. We have jumped to their reaction of hearing him perform That's All Right for the first time. Naturally, it follows with Sam asking Elvis how he knows Big Boy Crudup. I so wish the Elvis lines of I sing all kinds and I don't sound like nobody were in this movie. I know they have Hanks/Parker say Elvis was for Sam's Country act and Marion says I Just Think He's Different, but it may go over a lot of heads. The Kurt Russell movie focuses so thoroughly on that meeting between Elvis and Marion and those comments, and that was way back in 78/79 when Sam was still the one being given all the credit for discovering Elvis.
     
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  11. RSteven

    RSteven Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brookings, Oregon
    Executive Editor of Awards for The Hollywood Reporter Scott Feinberg makes his predictions for the upcoming Oscars in the article below. Baz Luhrmann's Elvis looks like a good bet for a Best Picture nomination and Austin Butler is in second place for a Best Actor not. Notice that these are not his personal choices, but his actual predictions based on the information below in the article.

    PLEASE NOTE: This forecast, assembled by The Hollywood Reporter‘s executive editor of awards Scott Feinberg, reflects his best attempt to predict the behavior of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, not his personal preferences. He arrives at these standings by drawing upon consultations with voters and industry insiders, analysis of marketing and awards campaigns, results of awards ceremonies that precede the Oscars and the history of the Oscars ceremony itself. There will be regular updates to reflect new developments.

    Feinberg Forecast: Updated Oscar Projections Mid-New York Film Festival

    *BEST ACTOR*

    Frontrunners
    Brendan Fraser (The Whale)
    Austin Butler (Elvis)
    Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin)
    Tom Cruise (Top Gun: Maverick)
    Adam Sandler (Hustle)
     
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2022
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  12. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Best Actor nod for Cruise in "Maverick"? There goes all form of credibility.
     
  13. garyt1957

    garyt1957 Forum Resident

    Location:
    mi
    Cruise and Sandler? Thisust be a bad year for acting
     
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  14. RSteven

    RSteven Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brookings, Oregon
    I can almost understand the Tom Cruise nod given the blockbuster numbers for Top Gun Maverick, and he does a decent acting job in the movie, but what the hell is with the Adam Sandler nomination? The guy can barely act. He did a couple of funny movies in his day, but serious acting chops, I think not. I haven't seen his movie yet, so maybe I am being a bit harsh, but his nomination seems implausible to me. Maybe I will eat my words, if I ever get around to seeing his movie, but it is doubtful I will make that a priority. I do think the top three choices are most likely to be in contention for the best actor nominations.
     
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2022
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  15. While I’m not an Adam Sandler fan I felt his acting in a few of his films like Uncut Gems was pretty darn good. Haven’t seen Hustle yet though.
     
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  16. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    The movie's success might get it a BP nod - maybe.

    But Best Actor for Cruise? Who just played The Tom Cruise Character for the 97th time?

    Stranger things have happened, but I find that next to unimaginable.

    It's not a complex role or performance.
     
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  17. RSteven

    RSteven Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brookings, Oregon
    I enjoyed the movie and Tom did a nice job in the role, but I have got to believe there are four other male actors that pulled off more impressive performances this year, Austin Butler being a prime example of one in my opinion.
     
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  18. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    We still have nearly 3 months of movies left to be released, and this is the time of year from which most noms emanate.

    Fraser? 100% lock. But that's it from the cited list.

    I'm not going out on the limb to say Butler won't get a nom, but I continue to think he's not the lock others believe. We've just seen too many highly-regarded "actors as iconic musicians" in recent years who didn't get noms.

    But it'll depend a lot on the competition the rest of the year.
     
  19. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    FWIW, I looked to see how often actors in action/popcorn movies get Oscar Best Actor noms.

    "Rarely" was the answer.

    Joaquin Phoenix won for "Joker", but it was more "Taxi Driver" than comic book.

    Matt Damon got a nom for "Martian", which I guess was popcorny, sorta.

    Best "recent" example I can find is Depp for the first "Pirates" movie - and that was nearly 20 years ago!
     
  20. RSteven

    RSteven Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brookings, Oregon
    I would be surprised if Tom Cruise gets a nomination in the best actor category, but not shocked. On the other hand, I will be surprised, dismayed and disappointed if Austin Butler does not get a best actor nod.
     
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  21. RSteven

    RSteven Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brookings, Oregon
    Although we only have about 61 critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, The Whale is scoring a very average 70% positive score on RT. While it is definitely the sort of depressing, woe is me stories that many critics seem to love, so far it is getting some pretty rotten reviews. Here are just a few examples below:

    With The Whale, Darren Aronofsky brings a hollow sense of dignity to his schematic brand of cinematic misery porn.

    Mean-spirited while claiming to be empathetic, it consists almost entirely of people shouting mean things at each other in a way that feels manipulative, and it has almost no handle on most of its characters.

    The Whale borders on body horror, but the real horror is the simple lack of compassion shown to a character in such clear emotional pain.

    The elaborate full-body makeover of The Whale is no less real than anything else in this fatally overwrought melodrama of compulsion and atonement.

    The Whale is meant to be a poignant consideration of guilt, sexuality, religion, remorse. We really only know that, though, because the movie shouts it at us.
     
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2022
  22. Grand_Ennui

    Grand_Ennui Forum Resident

    Location:
    WI
    I just got done watching the movie a few hours ago: Best I can say is 6.5/10.

    Things didn't pick up for me until the '68 Comeback Special segment of the film.
     
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  23. GeetarFreek

    GeetarFreek Forum Resident

    Location:
    Montana
    Ok, finally saw this, had to break it up into a few viewings but

    Loved it ! Surprisingly so, since generally speaking I’m not a Baz fan, but his frenetic style worked for this story.

    Austin Butler, I’m sure will be nominated for Oscar, outstanding. Somehow he humanized the caricature we all have in our minds of Elvis. I truly enjoyed his performance.

    Tom Hanks grew on me, at first it was somewhat shocking, but then it caught the groove, having him as the unreliable narrator was brilliant.

    This is up there w Bohemian Rhapsody for me as best music Bio, my expectations were low, and I was really surprised by how much I liked it. Excellent stage production too, they captured lots of details that real musicians would appreciate.

    8.5/10
     
  24. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Actors get nominated from movies that aren't hugely praised.

    I have no idea if "Whale" will get any other Oscar noms, but Fraser is a lock.
     
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  25. RSteven

    RSteven Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brookings, Oregon
    Have you seen the movie yet?
     

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