Rent Elvis (2022)
3.7 of 5 from 626 ratings
2h 33min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- This epic drama explores the life and music of Elvis Presley as seen through the prism of Presley's complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
- Actors:
- Tom Hanks, Austin Butler, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, Kelvin Harrison Jr., David Wenham, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Luke Bracey, Dacre Montgomery, Leon Ford, Gary Clark Jr., Yola, Natasha Bassett, Xavier Samuel, Adam Dunn, Alton Mason, Shonka Dukureh, David Gannon, Shannon Sanders
- Directors:
- Baz Luhrmann
- Producers:
- Gail Berman, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Patrick McCormick, Schuyler Weiss
- Voiced By:
- Jack Daniel, Zachary Van Zandt
- Writers:
- Baz Luhrmann, Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce, Jeremy Doner
- Others:
- David Lee, Andy Nelson, Karen Murphy, Michael Keller, Aldo Signoretti, Wayne Pashley, Denise Chamian, Mark Coulier, Jason Baird, Shane Thomas, Matt Villa, Jason Baird, Mark Coulier, David Lee, Mandy Walker, Jonathan Redmond, Nikki Barrett, Bev Dunn, Louise Coulston
- Studio:
- Warner
- Genres:
- Drama, Music & Musicals
- Collections:
- A Brief History of Singer Biopics, Award Winners, BAFTA Nominations Competition 2023, BAFTA Nominations Competition 2024, Elvis Presley on Screen, Getting to Know :Tom Hanks, Getting to Know..., Ireland At the Oscars, Oscar Nominations Competition 2023, People of the Pictures, A Brief History of Film..., Top 10 Palm Dog Winners, Top Films
- Awards:
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 19/09/2022
- Run Time:
- 159 minutes
- Languages:
- Castilian Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, English Audio Description Dolby Digital 5.1, English Dolby Atmos, English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Subtitles:
- Castillian, Danish, English Hard of Hearing, Italian Hard of Hearing, Norwegian, Swedish
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.40:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Bigger Than Life: The Store of ELVIS
- Rock 'n' Roll Royalty: The Music and Artists Behind Elvis
- Fir for a King: The Style of ELVIS
- Viva Australia: Recreating Iconic Locations for Elvis
- 'Trouble' Lyrics Video
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 19/09/2022
- Run Time:
- 159 minutes
- Languages:
- Canadian French Dolby Digital 5.1, English Audio Description Dolby Digital 5.1, English Dolby Atmos, Latin American Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles:
- Canadian French, Danish, English Hard of Hearing, Finnish, French Parisian, Latin American Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish
- DVD Regions:
- Region 2
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.40:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
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Reviews (13) of Elvis
Overlong, Overwritten Meandering Biopic Which is Riddled with the Race Politics of Now - Elvis review by PV
For those who want to watch a biopic of Elvis, ignore this - which reflects the obsessions of our age (BLM, race etc) and return to a better time with the 2005 TV miniseries - I'd give that 5 stars. Or the 1990 film documentary. OR the 2016 excellent film ELVIS AND NIXON which shows Elvis's loyal Republican political leanings.
I am not great fan of the films of Baz Luhrmann so if you like Strictly Ballroom etc you'll probably like this. Full of theatrics and style, rather than substance - as with early scenes of Elvis in a gospel church which never happened. As I said, watch the 2005 TV miniseries to see a truth-based drama. NO SPOIILERS but I hated the ending and boy, does this movie DRAG!
Beware: this biopic plays fast and loose with the truth in many ways. Worst of all it perpetuates the claim that 'white people stole black music' when the musical truth is the other way round - the blues and rock n roll came from British folk music and the UK oral hymn tradition, which even has blue notes and call and response like gospel - watch the excellent Howard Goodall series on music for evidence. To that was added in the Memphis triangle some African rhythms. But then all pop music is written in 'equal temperament' (doh ray mee) discovered by white European monks almost 1000 years ago.
It is criminal to leave out of this story the white Jewish boys Lieber and Stoller who wrote a great many of the early Elvis hits - Jailhouse Rock, AND Hound Dog - yes, it was sung by a black woman first BUT it was written by 2 white men. Carl Perkins (white male) wrote Blue Suede Shoes, and so on. Fact. I know my songwriters! This film;s obsession with modern BLM racial politics is depressing - I detest the modern demands for segregation and endless race fixation from these groups. It;s divisive and causes conflict.
SO if that 30-50 minutes were shaved off this flabby bloated film it could be a half-decent biopic. At way less than 2 hours 20 minutes.
Elvis like Michael Jackson came from a poor family and the fame and wealth knocked him off his perch - as they say, he got what he wanted, but lost what he had..
The music is great when original 1950s/60s/70s (the modern rap versions are AWFUL!) . Are You Lonesome Tonight was also written by 2 white guys in 1926; and If I Can Dream lyrics were written by a white guy working on the tech crew of the Elvis Comeback special in 1968.
It's also well-known Elvis had a heart condition inherited from his mother - who died from it young too, not drinking. watch the very last concerts of Elvis where he is babbling - that is a classic symptom of arrhythmia which I have seen myself in elderly people. Yes. Elvis took pills but that is one factor alone in his decline.
But a movie needs backstory and baddies, so the manager Dutchman gets it here BUT he is an interesting character and Hanks does well; the actor playing Elvis does too and esp the one playing the wonderful Little Richard. Would Elvis have had his success without 'Parker' as manager? Maybe not. Then if no Elvis, would there have been a Beatles? Easy to blame the manager.
HOWEVER,. far better to watch the real thing - see Elvis's 1973 Hawaii concert on YoutTube or similar; his 1968 comeback special; and the Little Richard archive. I hate tribute acts in general.
I wanted to watch a movie about Elvis, not a preachy sermon about race - if I wanted that, I'd go to church. I hate all these pc woke preachy lecturing movies. Since around 2016 or so, it seems all movies are now like this. I shall watch the archive then. Thank goodness we have it.
WHEN the movie focuses on Elvis, his adoration of his mother, his dead twin brother Jessie, his clueless business manager dad (well acted), and the manipulative Colonel Tom Parker it is great. The other stuff about race, which is so political, weakens the story of Elvis the man and Elvis the superstar (who by the way was blue-eyed blond - he dyed his hair black in adulthood).
So 2 stars.
8 out of 11 members found this review helpful.
Yoo long, bloated and boring - Elvis review by WM
This film was confused as to the focus - it appeared to be as much about Colonel Parker as about Elvis.
It did not work on a number of levels and for a variety of reasons.
Too long, bloated, and boring.
Avoid.
3 out of 3 members found this review helpful.
Stunning musical bio pic - Elvis review by cr
I heard some mixed reviews about this film but generally i like musical biopics and i wasnt disappointed.
This is a breakout / career defining role for austin butler who i had never heard of before. He is brilliant as elvis as is tom hanks as colonel tom parker.
The exploitation and cut throat music business is on display here and its clear that elvis was worked to death at the end by those around him.
Great music and acting. Highly recommended.
2 out of 4 members found this review helpful.
Critic review
Elvis review by Mark McPherson - Cinema Paradiso
I’ve never been the biggest fan of Baz Lurhman but I must admit his decadent style is tailor-made for an Elvis biopic. The rock star’s life was filled with hills and valleys decked out in rhinestone allure and sweaty passion. Even with a running time of well over two hours, this is one of the most exhilarating ways to tell the tale of Elvis, presented as a dizzying series of wild events and musical numbers. And yet, through all the chaos, the tragic rise & fall story still shines through.
It helps to have a wild and imaginative framing device of the story being told by Elvis’s manager Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). He tries to stress that he’s going to tell the real story. Except we can’t really take him seriously because his story is told on seemingly his death bed while he dips in and out of casino visions. There’s always a certain skepticism that comes with biopics and this movie wants you to be suspicious from the start.
In addition to gaining your attention with the unreliable narrator bit, the film jumps around a bit to divulge the legacy of the rock and roll legend. We get to see a young Elvis be inspired by the Southern flavor of blues. His desire to better provide for his family drives him to be a success. Finally, after giving the audience a whole lot of build-up, we’re teased about getting our first glimpses of Austin Butler performing as Elvis. Parker is also keen to get a look at this guy, especially after the comical reveal where he listens to Elvis on the radio and hears the shocking news about the rock singer: He’s white! A white guy singing bountiful blues in the south is sure to sell!
Butler rocks this role. He can not only sing well enough as Elvis but also pull off provocative stage moves. Lurhman takes care to make these scenes a dazzling experience with plenty of split-screen cuts and surreal transitions. Take note of how well Lurhman balances the stage performances, the screaming of the audience, and the scheming of Parker. There’s so much going on during these sequences that it’s impossible not to be transfixed on the screen. This is especially true with Hanks and Butler providing top-notch performances.
The rush of the film is both to its benefit and its curse. While it is fun watching all the montages and typography fly across the screen like a coked-up movie gargling soda as it belts out rock tunes, it blazes by many moments that might be worth exploring. We get a few highlights of Elvis’s troubled family life and only a handful of sweet moments between him and his wife Priscilla (Olivia DeJonge). The few moments we do get also carry some blunt and basic dialogue, where Elvis’s desire to do good in the world is mostly related to exposition. It’s also staggering just how many highlight celebrities are brought up in this story for small parts, despite putting in the extra effort. It was really cool to see Kelvin Harrison Jr. playing BB King for the brief time he was on screen.
What is on screen most, however, are the best elements to evoke from a gutsy and glitzy Elivs picture. There are the clashes with Parker, the feuds with family, the drugs behind the scenes, and the magic on stage. Through all this madness, the tragedy and heart of Elvis never get lost, always keeping a certain love present. Butler's performances come through on and off stage, making one feel for this rock star and care about whether or not the next performance will be his last. By the time the film reaches his demise in the 1970s, there’s a fine crescendo for how much a mark this man left on pop culture.
Elvis, for whatever it may be worth, is Luhurman’s best film. His fusing of fast-paced editing, trippy visuals, and even rap music all bode well for this presentation. It turns Elvis from being just a ho-hum biopic built for Oscars and more of a dazzling sight that does right by the star while also being a major crowd-pleaser for more than just fine performances.