Elvis: it certainly is a surprising idea by director Baz Luhrmann to tell the story of Elvis Presley from the point of view of the villain, or in any case his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. The way he chose to tell it, however, paints a symbiotic and/or parasitic relationship between the two men, so the story of the title character ends up being the story of their relationship. However close or far from actual facts, the film is entertaining. Austin Butler looks similar enough to the subject of the film, emulates well his speech patterns, and is able to emote appropriately the complexities of the character. Under a good amount of prosthetic make-up, Tom Hanks creates a vulture with a very peculiar accent.

Typically for Luhrmann, the film is a bit of an assault on the senses, particularly early on; the rapid-fire editing of editors Jonathan Redmond and Matt Villa slows down towards the end when the story gets more emotional. Costume designer Catherine Martin recaptures the lavish costumes used by Elvis, and her production design, done alongside Karen Murphy, is quite good as well. Cinematographer Mandy Walker captures it all beautifully. Music is mostly, but not exclusively, focused on his work, at times mixing versions; the reaction to it, of course, is contingent on how one feels about his music.