10.3.24
Sofia Coppola always seems to nail the portrayals of ‘contained women’ in her films, as showcased brilliantly in Lost in Translation and The Beguiled. Unfortunately though, I found Priscilla to be a mild disappointment, despite some great needle drops and artistic choices displaying Elvis as a less-than-sympathetic character.
Based on the book ‘Elvis and Me’ by Priscilla Presley, the film is a compact and muted recollection of her marriage to the so-called king of rock and roll (lowercase as I’m not a fan!). Cailee Spaeny, in the lead role, is physically expressive and adept at portraying different life stages. However, her dialogue performances leave much to be desired, with some line reads feeling laughably bad. Still, her portrayal of a woman who, at 24, decided to end her marriage to someone as famous as Elvis is inspiring and bold. Jacob Elordi makes a decent stab at playing Elvis, nailing the voice and physique, but lacking the charm and vulnerability that made the real man so captivating.
While it’s a treat to hear great songs by bands like The Ramones and Sons of Raphael, the absence of Elvis’s actual music feels like an understandably lost opportunity, due to rights reasons. These alternative tracks, though enjoyable, aren’t played at key moments that could have elevated both the melodies and the scenes. The film acknowledges the headiness of being romanced by the most famous man in the country. However, as the main character grows weary of her husband’s controlling behaviour and compartmentalisation of her within his life, the film feels thinner and more rushed as she realises she can push back — including a few triumphant scenes of her challenging Elvis through sheer outfit choice.
It’s hard to say if Coppola is being deliberately ambiguous or withholding, given that Priscilla Presley herself is an executive producer and booster of the movie. This dynamic raises questions about whether Coppola is pulling her punches or presenting Priscilla’s story genuinely. Either way, the film doesn’t paint Elvis in a flattering light, highlighting the weirdness of a 24-year-old man preying on a 14-year-old girl. In a melancholic sense, the film lets the audience decide whether Priscilla’s going along with this doomed marriage was her fault or not. Beautifully shot and moody, Priscilla often feels more like an aesthetic project than a character-driven piece, but at least the dresses and makeup are bloody fabulous.