Priscilla
Priscilla
Starring Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi, Ari Cohen, Dagmara Domincczyk
Directed by Sofia Coppola
In 1959, fourteen-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu is living with her military family stationed in Germany when she's invited to a party held by the music star Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi), who spent a stint in the military during the height of his fame. He became instantly drawn to young Priscilla due to them both from America, and a budding romance began. Eventually he flew her back to Graceland where she completed high school and ultimately married the superstar, but not everything was music to her ears. She endured his growing addiction to drugs, his infidelities, and his outbursts of anger that eventually led to her escaping his commanding thumb and forging a life for herself.
The Good:
Cailee Spaeny, best known for her smaller roles in "Pacific Rim: Uprising" and "Bad Times at the El Royale" did for Priscilla what Austin Butler did for Elvis - completely transform herself into the role. Maybe it's because she's not a household name, but she pulled off an incredibly believable performance as Priscilla spanning decades, and you never not believe she's playing her at any given age. From fourteen to her thirties, she aged naturally thanks to amazing makeup. She also looked the part down to the smallest detail, also thanks to spectacular hair, makeup, and costume designers.
The story itself is something we've all pretty much come to know, but seeing it through Priscilla's eyes made it something more of a confinement rather than a courtship. Elvis kept her in Graceland almost like a prisoner, where she couldn't have anyone over, she was constantly watched by his overbearing father, and wasn't even allowed to linger on the front lawn since there were throngs of fans waiting at the gates every morning. Although luxurious, Graceland looked like a prison to Priscilla, which was a sharp contrast to the amazing set design of the compound - an odd juxtaposition of luxury and confinement.
This is due to Sofia Coppola's ability to tell a story that's often centered on confinement and isolation, like her other works "The Beguiled," "The Virgin Suicides" and "Lost in Translation." Here Priscilla is the captive, caught in a love affair with a man who didn't seem to understand the true concept of love: he kept her alone for long periods of time where he went to star in movies, he supplied her drugs that resulted in her passing out for two days, and he forced herself to change for him in her appearance, as well as served as the brunt of his physical altercations. You felt for Priscilla in a way you didn't feel for her in other Elvis biopics because this wasn't about him - it's about her.
The Bad:
Jacob Elordi tried to perform a decent Elvis, but standing in the shadow of Butler's Oscar-nominated performance is no easy task, even for a man of Elordi's stature. His accent seemed too forced and bland, he didn't have much presence, and he just came off as the formulaic physically and mentally abusive spouse.
By adhering to the general biopic subgenre, "Priscilla" fell into the trap of pacing. There was a lot of focus at the beginning of the movie with their courtship and their age difference (obviously the term "groomer" didn't exist back then), along with her struggle with her parents to let her go, and once she moved in the film continued its careful pacing by showing how amazing and depressing her life was. Then in rapid succession came the wedding, the birth of Lisa Marie, the fights, and the divorce which came as fast as a high school history teacher who spent the first eight months studying World War I before realizing he had to get to modern history by the end of the school year.
The Summary:
Though it turned into a generic biopic, "Priscilla" is heightened by a committed performance, exceptional cinematography, and a story of a woman's liberation from the prison she found herself in.
The Score: A-
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