Just "Elvis"

Elvis Presley – one of the most beloved artists and the best-selling solo artist of all time. So much has been said and written about him that we can safely admit that he is the most imitated and overexposed image in world show business.

So many things have been said (and invented) about him that we seem to forget that he was real and not just a name and a product. But turning it into one of the most successful and best-selling brands is the mission of its legendary manager Colonel Tom Parker, which ultimately may have led to the King of Rock's tragic death.

Elvis' life and phenomenal musical career have moved millions of people around the world, even more than 40 years after his untimely death in 1977. What happens to Elvis in the last years of his life is largely due to his complicated relationship with Colonel Tom Parker. And it is this relationship that is at the center of the plot of the film " Elvis", the work of the director Baz Luhrmann, which we are about to see on the big screen from June 24

The film follows 20 years of Elvis' life on his way to the top of fame, against the backdrop of the changing cultural landscape and the loss of innocence in America. Luhrmann emphasizes the strong bond Elvis has with his mother and how her loss affects him. One of the most important people in Presley's life, his wife Priscilla, plays a key role in the film.

Elvis is played by Austin Butler and we can safely say that he does a very convincing job. Although a large number of Elvis fans criticized the choice of Butler, arguing that he did not have a sufficient resemblance to Presley, the young actor managed to recreate his appearance quite successfully. Butler even performs some of the songs in the film, mostly from the King of Rock's early period.

Austin does such a convincing job of singing some of Elvis' hit songs that even Priscilla Presley couldn't recognize him. This is what she herself shared in an interview about her impressions of the film:

„ It's incredible what this boy, Austin Butler, has done. He spent two years studying Elvis, so it was shocking to watch him. He even sings some of the songs. Jerry Schilling (Elvis's friend and manager, ed.) was sitting next to me while we were watching the movie at a private screening, and I asked him, "Is Elvis singing now or Austin?" And he said, "No, it's Elvis." to which I asked him – “Are you sure?” and a minute later he replied – “It's Austin.” That's how amazing he is.”

Tom Hanks plays Colonel Parker, needless to say how well he does every role, and he is no exception here.

In the image of Elvis' ex-wife - Priscilla, the young actress Olivia DeYoung enters. The entire cast of the film received high praise and approval from Priscilla and Lisa Marie Presley, as well as the grandchildren of the King of Rock.

Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie Presley and her daughters after a screening of the movie "Elvis". Photo: Getty images

If you are fans of Presley, you will hardly learn anything new and unknown about him from Baz Luhrmann's film. What you will get, however, is a 160-minute visual and musical spectacle through which you will be reminded in a beautiful and moving way of the magic and immense talent of one of the most beloved artists of all time.