Priscilla - Review: The King's Queen Finally Gets to Tell Her Story

 

In the pantheon of America musicians and pop culture in general, Elvis is one of the largest, most imitated, and most renowned figures in the world. There is plenty of merit to that as Elvis did, obviously, have a massive impact on the world of music as a whole. However, there are also plenty of sleazy and inappropriate things about the King, some worse than others. Now writer/director Sofia Coppola (“Lost in Translation,” “The Virgin Suicides”) has crafted a film to deconstruct the myth of Elvis using his first wife and fashion icon Priscilla. 

The film follows Priscilla, played by Cailee Spaeny (“The Craft: Legacy,” “Mare of Easttown”), meeting Elvis, played by Jacob Elordi (“euphoria,” “The Kissing Booth”), at the age of 14. Elvis, then 24, begins to romantically pursue Priscilla and the film traces their relationship from 1960 to 1973, following Priscilla moving to Graceland, finishing school, their eventual marriage, the birth of Lisa Marie Presley, and their eventual divorce. 

Coppola’s typical warm, unfiltered, hazy look fits the space the film occupies very well. Each shot has a slight fuzz to it, as if vaseline is smeared ever so slightly across the lens. It perfectly captures the time period, from the general look and feel down to the immaculate costuming and hairstyling. Cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd (“The Beguiled (2017),” “Seven Pounds”) frames it all in a very specific way, combining that haze and period aesthetics to create an ethereal, dreamlike film that helps to communicate Priscilla herself throughout the events. 

Spaeny is absolutely perfect, meandering between the childlike perspectives of her youth and the forced maturity she’s required to gain in this situation. She’s gorgeous and makes these moments come alive. Her chemistry with Elordi is fantastic as well, which makes the moments of horror within his Elvis’ behavior that much worse. He also plays the King fantastically well, keeping the energy up when needed while also toning it down during the more reserved moments, making it clear that it is, indeed, the same person in different modes. 

His performance is a fantastic way to look at the film itself compared to another recent Elvis related film. Whereas that one film is exceptionally bombastic and overblown, “Priscilla” takes a very subdued approach that allows you to get inside its protagonist’s headspace and really inhabit how she feels. It's boosted by the aforementioned dreamlike atmosphere and a phenomenal musical score from the bands Pheonix and Sons of Raphael. 

This more atmospheric approach does lead to an aspect that might leave some wanting. The movie doesn’t really have a strict three act structure, instead going for a more experiential format. It works to get you into Priscilla’s emotions and headspace and world, but does mean that the film doesn’t really build tension. It leads to a fascinatingly good performance and general vibe but means the overall story could be perceived as lacking due to that missing aspect. 

Coppola’s best films go for that kind of dreamlike angle, and “Priscilla” is no different, expressing a desire to communicate her headspace and feelings rather than summarize her life into a strict three act structure. Spaeny is absolutely fantastic, as is Elordi, and the entire film nails the technical and atmospheric aspects of the time periods. Its unconventional narrative structure might be frustrating for most, but for a film named after her, the most important thing is that it communicates who Priscilla Presley is, where she came from, and what she was feeling. And in those aspects, it's a resounding success. 4/5