Elvis: Movie Review (No Spoilers)
By Michael Momper "When you're lost, people take advantage." So says Elvis Presley, and his tragic end seems to confirm the statement. In Baz Luhrmann's cinematic retelling of Elvis' life story we find a scapegoat for the death of the King of Rock and Roll, but we also relive the magnetism that made him one of American music's immortal voices and copied-but-never-duplicated performers. Baz Luhrmann's directing style makes this story come alive with frenetic modern energy. It is clear from the beginning that part of his intent for the period piece is to capture Elvis' style, his glamor and sex appeal, and translate it for a modern audience so that those of us who didn't live during the man's heyday can experience why he was such a cultural phenomenon and why his music was so important. From the early frames of the movie, we begin to see why Elvis' passionate stage persona and firecracker energy were such a watershed moment for many...