The New Elvis Movie - 3 Reasons Why You Need To Buy It!

The musical biopic has become a crowded genre in recent years, with films such as ‘Rocket Man’ detailing the life of Elton John, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ telling the story of Freddie Mercury and Queen and 2022s ‘Elvis’ telling the tale of Elvis Presley, his life and the tragedy surrounding his death. The film painted a very different picture of Elvis, telling the story through the perspective of his manager Colonel Tom Parker (played by Tom Hanks). The film is directed by the great Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge, The Great Gatsby, Australia), who lends his signature style to the film, creating an almost dreamlike, trance for a lot of the musical numbers. The film was a great summary of Elvis’s life and career and to celebrate the film's release on physical media on September 21st, it was only fitting to break down the 3 reasons why you need ‘Elvis’ in your movie collection. These are the 3 moments that are the soul of the film and the reason why you won’t be forgetting about ‘Elvis’ anytime soon. So, without further ado, let's go!  

The Costumes – A staple of a Baz Luhrmann production, is the intricacies and detail put into all the elements, including costuming, art design and set decoration (among others). Luhrmann teamed up again with long-time collaborator Catherine Martin, who has worked with Luhrmann on all his previous works, and won Oscars in the process for costume design, production design and set decoration for ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘Moulin Rouge’. The costumes here are flawless, highlighting the period so well, feeling like a piece of history on screen. The designs are beautiful and work well in the 

The Performances – Luhrmann also surrounds himself with the best cast members as well, to get the most out of the material. Throughout his career he has worked with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman and Toby Maguire, some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. In ‘Elvis’, Luhrmann enlists the talents of Austin Butler playing Elvis Presley himself and Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker. These two performances are Oscar worthy, with Butler showing that he has a lot to offer, embodying Elvis from his amazing vocals to his mannerisms all the way to his dance moves. Butler is Elvis Presley. Tom Hanks steals the show as well as Colonel Tom Parker. Whilst the make-up is distracting at first, once you settle in, Hanks commands the screen, fully embodying this evil man and showcasing his control over Elvis in all aspects of his life. 

The Music – Another staple in a Baz Luhrmann production is his use of music. Being a musical biopic, this is an important part of the film and I think the creative team do an amazing job here with the music. Elvis’s songs are kept intact, with the film exploring Elvis’s obvious inspirations for his music. Austin Butler does an amazing job performing Elvis’s classics, with his voice nearly perfectly emulating one of the greatest performers of all time. If you are a fan of Elvis’s music, you won’t be disappointed and if you’re after near perfect re-creations of his music, then this one is for you. 

Overall, ‘Elvis’ is one of the best musical biopics out there, showcasing Elvis’s troubled rise to fame, under the guise of a commanding, demanding and controlling manager in Colonel Tom Parker. The film has a lot to offer and if you are unfamiliar with the life and tragic death of Elvis Presley, the film serves as an accurate re-telling of his life’s story. ‘Elvis’ is out on DVD, Blu-Ray and 4K UHD from September 21, so head on over to your local Sanity or online pre-order your copy on DVD, Blu-Ray or 4K UHD today. You won’t want to miss it! 

Buy the Elvis Movie on DVD, Blu-ray or 4K UHD here!

Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here