I enjoyed Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis last year.
It was a unique biopic that used Luhrmann’s maximalist style to reflect Elvis Presley’s wild and iconic fame, while exploring artist exploitation through Tom Hanks’ chilling performance. I also heavily enjoyed the documentary The King, using Elvis Presley’s influence and iconography as a commentary on the evasiveness of the American dream. But what that film, doc, and many other Elvis films rarely explore, is Elvis’ wife Priscilla Presley. Most filmmakers seldom dive into her perspective when looking at her life, usually taking the more high profile and sensational lens of Elvis Presley. When Sofia Coppola announced she was directing an adaptation of Priscilla Presley’s memoir, Elvis and Me, she noted her dedication to maintaining Priscilla’s perspective on her relationship, aided by Priscilla Presley herself who acted as executive producer. The two worked together to craft the heartfelt, intense, and deeply relatable biopic, Priscilla, which deserves recognition of one of the best Presley related films, and a strong coming of age story in its own right.
Priscilla follows Priscilla Ann Wagner (Cailee Spaeny) when she’s 14 and first meets the 24 year old Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi) while he’s station in Germany during his time in the military. Sofia Coppola’s direction is incredibly strong and capturing Priscilla’s teenage perspective. She perfectly depicts all the hallmarks of a teenage crush: first noticing the tall charismatic guy across the room, talking and trying to read conversation as real or a pick-up-line, and noticing red flags, but trying to ignore them by remembering the thrills and wonders of the good times. Spaeny’s performance is also excellent at selling those moments, especially the scenes where Priscilla starts hanging around Elvis’ older friends, and how she feels older or more mature just by hanging around them. Coppola’s direction feels deeply honest with showing Priscilla’s perspective and how she saw Elvis throughout their relationship, both the good and the bad.
Coppola also perfectly captured Elvis’ mood swings and escalation, thanks heavily to Jacob Elordi’s strong performance as Presley. While he doesn’t capture the larger than life aura that Austin Butler personified, it actually works out in Elordi’s favor. Since his Elvis is the Elvis Priscilla knew and loved, Elordi weaved from charismatic, charming, vulnerable, and aggressive with ease. Coppola masterly showed how the two could be attracted to each other in the first place, as Elordi broke down how Elvis felt emotionally stunted and immature due to his manager and overbearing father, and how he feels just as trapped as Priscilla does. Their sparks shine so bright, you’re almost caught off guard when Elvis turns more controlling and abusive as his drug addiction gets worse. Coppola tries to capture the abruptness of Elvis’ mood swings through her direction, reflecting how shocked Priscilla felt by these out of nowhere outburst. However, at times times Coppola could’ve done more to make the build up of Elvis’ aggression feel more natural, as these tonal shifts can feel very jarring. The abrupt direction get’s more jarring in the third act of the film, lacking some of the flow that could’ve made Priscilla’s character growth feel more fulfilling.
Priscilla is a deeply empathetic film that’s respectful of Priscilla Presley’s perspective. The film is raw and honest in a way that may make some audiences uncomfortable, but that’s for the best considering the messiness of teenage life. The film lays all the flaws and hopes bare that feels vulnerable without feeling voyeuristic. Priscilla is a great entry in Sofia Coppola’s already eclectic filmography, it’s romantic and passionate look at a true teenage dream.
Priscilla is playing at the NYFF next on October 15th before it’s wide theatric release on November 3rd.