I have been excited to see this for months - finally out on MAX so I went for it - and the first hour was fantastic . They were both very good in their roles and the chemistry( or lack of ) was very well presented . It took the story of the two of them meeting and made it come to life , the filming was interesting and the general vibe felt spot on . The development in this first part for the characters was great and you really felt like you were being set up to be taken somewhere

And then ....

Then all the sudden the second half it's like the character development just stopped , very little connected together or made sense without background knowledge into the story as a whole , and then the last 20 min it was like "oh shoot we have 20 min better finish it " and no one could figure out exactly how .

The jump from being in an abusive relationship to being her own woman was instant and it all felt very juvenile and hallmark in the end .

Worth watching ? Yes for sure . Not great film but really could have been which made it more disappointing.

Before Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie passed away earlier this year, she was quite contemptuous over Sofia Coppola's portrayal of her parents in her biographical feature Priscilla. Based on Priscilla Presley's 1985 memoir Elvis and Me, the film has nonetheless garnered mostly positive reviews and even earned Cailee Spaeny the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the 2023 Venice Film Festival. Given that Priscilla herself was an executive producer on this project, it's best to look at this project at a more earnest portrayal of Elvis and Priscilla instead of it being romanticized or sugar coated.

Now as this film depicts the courtship between a then 14 year old Priscilla and a then 24 year old Elvis, the biggest takeaway from this feature is that it's supposed to comment more on the idea of love being difficult to obtain as the wife of a global superstar. While it does depict a taboo romantic subject in mind, it becomes far more toxic when Elvis proves to be far more manipulative and abusive than his rockstar persona claims otherwise. Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi share quite a conflicting bond as their depictions show a more disturbing underbelly to what the public thought of the Presleys otherwise. Coppola makes sure to emphasize the unfortunate implications behind their relationship without directly endorsing it, especially as we can see how much the spousal torment and jadedness behind the life of fame creates more misery in Priscilla than to the people worried for her like her parents and socialites. Behind all the rock & roll, glamour and pizazz lies a hollow marriage where one is no longer illusioned to much of anything, be it romance or appreciation for the music.

That being said, outside of the disturbing implications behind Priscilla and Elvis' courtship, there really isn't much else to take away from the movie. By putting so much of Priscilla's perspective into the limelight, the portrayal of her husband isn't interesting enough to dissect beyond him being a fake charming guy who more so likes the idea of a soul mate instead of actually being with one consistently. It doesn't help that the film rushes certain plot points just to get to Presley's life of prestige, such as Priscilla's time with her rightfully concerned family, her trouble focusing in school and even the implied drug addictions she and her husband faced. Despite that latter key point playing a big role in Elvis' abusive behavior, it isn't explored enough to leave much of a dramatic impact. In fact, for a film that tries to incorporate themes of domestic abuse, it feels surprisingly lacking in showing much of that tension. Also, once the film ends, it feels as if it missed the opportunity to go more into Priscilla's life after leaving Elvis for good, almost as if it felt it didn't need to tell more when it should have.

Outside of those qualities, the filmmaking is competent enough yet never rises above decently well crafted in depicting the era of subject. The cultural aesthetic of the late 50s and early to mid 60s feels more tact on for the sake of the time period, as outside of some of the road shows and projects Elvis is apart of, only the costuming sticks out the most, and yet the film hardly does much with them to make much of an impression. If anything, the pop cultural influence from this era feels more like an accompaniment to the story than really playing much of a role beyond the media playing up Elvis' life as more than it really is. Also, the lack of much of a background score surprisingly doesn't work as most of the scenes play out with an awkward tension that would have benefited from more than just what's on the soundtrack. Speaking of which, for some reason there are all kinds of retro and contemporary rock and jazz songs except from the king himself. Perhaps given the involvement of Priscilla Presley and her ex-husband's enterprises, this comes off as understandable yet confusing.

So while made with earnest intentions and captivating performances, Priscilla is a decent enough biopic that falls flat in exploring more about its subject matter beyond superficial love and all the glitz and glamour that comes with it. I would recommend this on the grounds that it's more interesting than it is thought provoking, though definitely take that for what it's worth given how much influence was done by the target at hand. Besides, even if the king is no longer looked at the same way he was then, projects like these are good reminders to not look up to everyone you admire, let alone fall for.

Just rather uninteresting, on film terms at least.

It is interesting seeing the film portray a different type of version of Elvis Presley, one that is uncomfortable to watch unfold but one that ought to be told. That's where anything noteworthy I have to say about this release ends, though. As a movie, it's rather boring. I'm not convinced there's enough to be told across a full blown picture, at least not one around 1hr 45mins in length. I will say that Cailee Spaeny puts in a solid display as the titular character, in fairness.

Jacob Elordi as Elvis, in my opinion, isn't a positive to be honest. If I didn't know he was playing Elvis I genuinely wouldn't have guessed he was playing the singer, aside from a few outfits and the twisty bit of hair in his fringe. Accent particularly seemed off to me too, Elordi amusingly (given the director's connection) sounds more like Nicolas Cage (c. 1997, 'Con Air', Cameron Poe) on phone call scenes.

It's competently put together visually at least, though overall I can't honestly say this made a mark on me personally. I don't feel like I learnt anything about 'Priscilla' herself. I doubt I'll remember this one long term, sadly.

Early in Sofia Coppola's languid distillation of Priscilla Presley's life with Elvis, she receives a beautifully coiffed and presented gift of a pet poodle. Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny) had recently moved into Graceland when she gets the present. 14 when they met in Germany, Priscilla was still only 17. She coddles the pooch and treats it like a little princess. Coppola (who wrote the screenplay adapted from Priscilla's book) makes a case that Elvis (Jacob Elordi) viewed his then future wife as a type of possession. When the teenager asks for permission to take a part-time job, the musician forbades it saying that he needs her to be available whenever he desires. Like the dog, Priscilla is always to be primped and pampered to its owner's specifications.

One could say that PRISCILLA represents the other side of Baz Luhrman's recent phantasmagorical film ELVIS in both style and POV. That's certainly true in many ways, but it's doubtful that Coppola would have made her movie much differently even if Luhrman's film didn't exist. Phillipe La Sourd's cinematography, Tamara Deverell's Production Design and Stacey Battat's costuming all fit nicely within Coppola's aesthetic. The filmmaker's love of pop music is also fully on display with period songs mixed freely with more recent tunes in a similar vein (the movie begins with The Ramones and fades out with Dolly Parton).

Coppola has rarely been an auteur interested in pure plot and narrative drive. She prefers to soak the viewer into the milieu of her characters. On that level, PRISCILLA has a certain effectiveness. Neither Spaeny nor Elordi are stars, but, their anonymity adds to their relatability. Elordi in particular, faces not only comparisons to Austin Butler's ebullient Oscar nominated performance, but decades of imitators. He humanizes the mythic figure even if, at a certain point, his lack of flash reduces the King of Rock 'N Roll to too much the mere mortal. The elephant in the room is, of course, that Elvis would be considered persona non grata in today's climate. When Priscilla first enters Graceland, Elvis' ever-present entourage are taken aback at how young she looks. Coppola exaggerates the difference by casting actors over a foot apart in height (the real difference was closer to 8"). It does make her look like a little girl (and Spaeny convincingly pulls it off despite being only a year younger than Elordi; Elvis was a decade Priscilla's senior). In Coppola (and Priscilla's) telling, Elvis isn't portrayed as making his young wife into a purely sexual object. He kept her under glass in his misguided notion that he was protecting her. To make her into an idealized good Christian girl and modern Southern belle who his recently deceased mama could have been proud of. It's an extraordinary tricky balance - particularly with the real Priscilla being a Producer on this film.

By design, PRISCILLA never takes a truly deep look at all the details of the couple's lives. Colonel Tom Parker is only vaguely alluded to. The viewer sees Elvis performing only near the very end, and briefly. Once at Graceland, Priscilla is barely shown with anyone other than Elvis' posse. The movie only spans the years they were together. It's a very insular movie which relies heavily on mood and atmosphere. It will be up to each individual viewer if that is sufficient.

The movie fails to provide a closer look at the real Priscilla -- most of the movie's portrayal is already known to the world-wide Elvis audiences. Worse is that it portrays Elvis in such a negative light -- again, much of which; the drug addiction and its obvious ills, the audience already knows. The actors did what they could to this uninspiring script, especially Elordi but it was really the visuals that were, if anything, at all interesting and beautiful. That said, I could not get past the height difference between the key actors which was an obvious mismatch nor a more in-depth understanding of the main character herself. As I drove home from the theatre I just kept asking myself, "But...why? Why make this movie?" What good comes from it? For me, the portrayal did no good to Priscilla necessarily; as mentioned it taught little of her; her parents or their parenting, it lacked an emotional fullness to the real life story of this romance (if you will), and other than the bedroom scenes, very little of Priscilla's thinking, the relationship of Elvis and she. Lastly, and importantly, it does little good to the real-life extended Presley family, not to mention, the legacy of Elvis.

Wow, this was an uncomfortable movie to watch. Priscilla invites inevitable comparisons to last year's "Elvis," portraying an exact opposite narrative. Helmed by the talented Sophia Coppola, who commands great respect, and featuring Jacob Elordi, an actor I admire, the film falls short of expectations. Unfortunately, it presents a one-dimensional, flat perspective that left me somewhat disappointed.

While the performances are strong, and the direction commendable, Priscilla's narrative feels tedious and slow at times. The harrowing depiction of power imbalances in the central relationship adds a layer of discomfort that makes the film hard to watch. Sophia Coppola's artistic choices unveil a side of the characters that, while impactful, renders the viewing experience challenging. Priscilla sheds light on the vulnerability of a young protagonist, emphasizing the discomfort of witnessing a story where she is just a child.

When a film seeks to depict the life story of a beloved public figure, it generally works best when it paints a comprehensive portrait of said individual. However, in this biography of the wife of rock icon Elvis Presley, viewers get a picture that seemingly tells only half of the story. Writer-director Sofia Coppola's latest focuses on the years Priscilla Presley (Cailee Spaeny) spent with Elvis (Jacob Elordi). They embark on a sincerely loving relationship that, sadly, falls prey to problems with drugs, firearms, infidelity, prolonged separations and control freak tendencies, conditions - largely initiated by Elvis - that eventually lead to their separation (and at times cause the film to be more about him than her). Regrettably, the choice of this narrative leaves out the many significant personal and professional accomplishments of Priscilla's life on her own, an inspiring story that's completely (and perplexingly) overlooked. As a consequence, viewers are primarily shown a profile of a predominantly subservient character who rarely rebels until she finally somehow musters up the courage to leave (where did that trait come from?), with nothing about the successes that followed. In addition, there are many story threads that feel unresolved or underdeveloped, leaving audiences hanging about what comes from them. To its credit, "Priscilla" is, in several respects, some of the best (though surprisingly most conventional) work that Coppola has produced as a filmmaker, as evidenced in the cinematography and editing and in Elordi's balanced portrayal of Elvis. But, like other of Coppola's efforts, this offering could still use some tidying up in the writing, character development and overall story structure. The wife of a King truly warrants better treatment.

Greetings again from the darkness. It was less than 18 months ago when Baz Luhrman's Oscar nominated ELVIS hit theaters and we were admiring Austin Butler's performance. Where that movie was glitzy and loud and centered on Elvis and Col Tom Parker, this current film from writer-director Sofia Coppola (Oscar winner for LOST IN TRANSLATION, 2003) offers a quieter, more intimate glimpse at the relationship between Elvis and Priscilla through her eyes.

Ms. Coppola is a detailed filmmaker who excels when dealing with personal isolation, and Priscilla makes a fitting and worthy subject. The screenplay by Coppola and Sandra Harmon is adapted from Priscilla Presley's 1985 memoir, "Elvis and Me", a book that also served as the basis for the 1988 TV movie of the same name (screenplay by Ms. Harmon). Although Elvis Presley Enterprises was not involved with this film (explaining the lack of familiar Elvis music), Priscilla Presley did serve as Executive Producer (EP, ironically), so her memories and preferences likely play a key role in much of what we see here.

Relative newcomer Cailee Spaeny ("Mare of Easttown") delivers an outstanding performance - from 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu in 1959 to Elvis's bride in 1967 through their divorce in 1973. Ms. Spaeny perfectly captures the wide-eyed innocence of a young fan, the frustrations of a young woman being controlled and isolated, and finally, a grown woman standing up for her own freedom. Playing Elvis through this same time period is Jacob Elordi ("Euphoria"), and he is effective in mimicking the familiar mannerisms and speaking voice. Physically, he towers over the diminutive Spaeny, which although not historically accurate, does add a dimension to the couple's disconnect. As for the age difference, the two actors are close in age, but are able to portray the actual 10 year age gap between Elvis and Priscilla.

The creep factor is ever-present as 24-year-old Elvis, overseas on military duty, shows an elevated interest in 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu, whose military father is also stationed in Germany. The naivety of their first meetings is captured as Elvis' beloved mother has recently passed away. Both are lonely and away from home, and Elvis simply finds her easy to talk to. It's hindsight to question how parents could allow the situation to escalate, but anyone who has parented a teenager understands the challenges. When Priscilla turns 17, she moves into Graceland, yet Elvis insists the intimacy wait until after they are married.

At the core of the story is Priscilla's solitude and loneliness. She is confined to Graceland and requested to "keep the home fires burning" as Elvis marches off to the stream of movies set up by a never-seen-here Col Tom Parker. Keeping Parker on the phone allows Priscilla's world to remain even smaller despite being married to the biggest star on the planet. Doses of Elvis and the Memphis Mafia occur between extended stretches alone with Elvis' grandmother and personal cook. She is isolated from the real world and clearly controlled by Elvis, who was only partially present.

When Priscilla and Elvis are together, the strain is apparent. Prescription drugs and sexual tension are interrupted by periodic bursts of Elvis anger, followed by a sincere apology. It's here where we realize he's more of a kid than she is ... emotionally stunted in what makes a relationship (it takes more than the tabloid reports of movie set flings Priscilla reads about). This is also evident as she watches him go through many phases in search of himself - martial arts, bible study, eastern philosophy, etc. In the family photo shoot with Lisa Marie, body language tells the whole story. Priscilla's fling with karate instructor Mike Stone is teased, but not dwelled upon. We realize that Priscilla was the one thing in life he felt he could control. By the end, one of them has escaped the cage, while the other remains captive.

Voted 'Best Film' at this year's Venice Film Festival, it also reminds us what a terrific filmmaker Sofia Coppola can be. Working with a limited budget, she and her team are so proficient, it never seems as if they cut corners. Cinematographer Philipe Le Sourd and Editor Sarah Flack manage to sustain the pacing despite an inordinate amount of time Priscilla spends on her own at Graceland. Production Designer Tamara Deverell recreated the recognizable interior of Graceland, while the work of Costume Designer Stacey Battat guides us through the fashion changes that occurred over these 14 years. The film recreates some of the iconic images and moments that are ingrained in our memory banks, and director Coppola chooses to end with Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You", supposedly the song Elvis sang to Priscilla as they finalized the divorce.

Opens in theaters on November 3, 2023.

Priscilla is absorbing material told with a quiet confidence; like Marie Antoinette, for at least two thirds of the way in, this feels like it is so close to being one of this director's most Formally and performance-wise impressive and inspired films. Whether you sense any deeper personal connection Coppola may have had with the story (Id need a psychology degree to unpack what it may or may not be like for this director to have been so close to a figure like Francis Coppola, though a much different context), the film largely works as a story where you get not only why a young woman would fall for this man at this time, but why it would be so hard to leave when it gets... rough.

When it's Priscilla in her high school years, in total yet totally understandable infatuation with Elvis (that time period when he goes away and she counts the months by calendar, chefs kiss), and even into most of the time into Graceland, it's engrossing. The flaw is when it kept going after running out of things to say; in that sense, ironically given how they are so wholly tonally different films, this has the same problem as Luhrmann's Elvis where it covers so much ground that it runs out of steam dramatically (the Hit The Points We Know sort of thing). If you asked me which is the superior film I'll say Coppola's, but it's not by a long shot exactly, just with different strengths for each.

Still, Spaeny gives, along with Dominic Sessa in The Holdovers, the OMG where did *that* come from Young actor turn of the year, as well as Elordi being ideally cast as *this* Elvis, and even with my qualms I would say to anyone vaguely interested to check it out. It's the kind of storytelling where the physical details are so impactful - watch what Priscilla does just before she goes to the hospital to give birth to her daughter, not subtle but a devastating fine-underlined point about her life as it was - and as per Coppola the production design and costuming and the camerawork is fantastic (though it took me a few minutes to adjust to how dark some of the scenes are lit).

And I must also add, other mostly splendid music choices besides (sampling from 80s New Wave to Santana), the opening needle drop ("Baby, I Love You," by The Ramones via Phil Spector) is as nerve-tingling as the final one is tacky (I'll leave you to be the judge, but I kind of groaned at that forced romantic irony).

PS: that moment when Priscilla breaks down and tells Elvis to stop reading from that book is one of my two or three favorite moments from any film this year.

Director/writer Sofia Coppola's atmospheric adaptation of Priscilla Presley's 1985 memoir is so muted the 2023 film often feels emotionally inert. The approach makes sense when it focuses on the compartmentalized world Priscilla lived in from age 14 when she was summoned to meet Elvis in Germany. The first part of the film focuses effectively on her sense of isolation, but it also builds anticipation for a great romance that we don't actually witness much in a relationship marred by jealousy, manipulation and often violent swings in behavior. Coppola manages to draw out solid lead performances from Jacob Elordi who captures Elvis' conflicted offstage personality well, and especially Cailee Spaeny who conveys the title role with aching vulnerability and an evolving sense of self.

She is just a teenager, when Elvis entered her life - as young as she was, she must have had hopes, fears and dreams. We learn nothing of those or what else is going on inside of her. She remains the empty piece of paper, the unwritten human being, the entire world assumed she must have been... Unforgivable from a woman's perspective.

As other mentioned: the height-difference is off-putting since it's pushing the narrative towards an even bigger difference of power as it might have been in reality, almost scratching the topic of abuse.

I'm sure the real Priscilla had dreams and ambitions and was not the flat and willingless object as she's portraited here.

It's unfortunate that this movie came out so recently after Baz Luhrmann's Elvis did. Unfortunate because most will look to that as the "definitive" Elvis biopic - while it is in many ways, there are an equal number of ways that Sofia Coppola's Priscilla offers deeper insights into Elvis and Priscilla Presley and their very famous relationship.

Truly, these two films shouldn't be compared as they are very different. However, since they will be I'll throw my thoughts into the ring. Elvis was a very erratic, wacky film that had too much going on to the point that you never really engaged with it, moreso just followed along as it quickly gave you flashes of significant events in Elvis' life. Priscilla, on the other hand, focuses on one element of the Elvis story - his relationship and marriage with Priscilla. Plus, in this film, rather than taking an objective perspective like in Elvis, we get to follow the perspective of Priscilla and see Elvis the way she saw him, which is a far more compelling setup for a story.

Sofia Coppola holds nothing back (losing permission to the music rights in the process), as she artfully captures the loss of innocence and darker aspects of the famous relationship between Priscilla and Elvis. She was the perfect filmmaker to tell this story from this perspective, directing it almost like it is a dark fairytale.

Delicate and quietly fierce, at first glance, this film may not appear to share much with Oppenheimer and Killers of The Flower Moon, but they all have one thing in common: depicting the banality of evil in an almost detached way, framing objectively problematic events through a subjective individual's experience. Somehow, all three are able to say so much without preaching, presenting you with ugly and evil things and allowing their ugliness to be self-evident, often through juxtaposition between intense sin and mundane ordinariness.

Priscilla does not include impassioned monologues about female independence or misogyny-in fact, it's arguable that the heroine makes her first active choice in the final moments of the film-but it manages to grab you with its subtle allure and wrap you up in something that feels somehow good and gross, a delightful and desirable fairy tale and a slow-motion car accident from which you can't look away. It's hard to praise performances without being generic, but suffice to say that Cailee Spaeny's eyes and little half-smiles are doing so much heavy-lifting here-and Jacob Elordi somehow pulls off Elvis far more effortlessly than Austin Butler, in all his intense energy, could have ever dreamed. The seemingly 10-foot divide in height between the two of them helps, too.

Without even opening his mouth, Elordi embodied the essence of Elvis with his mannerisms and the way he carried himself. And when he did speak, that Southern drawl could charm anyone. Spaeny's performance from a naive and vulnerable fourteen-year-old to an emotionally mature adult was flawless. (I was amazed how the performance and the hair/makeup/clothing seamlessly worked to convince the audience of Priscilla's age in each period.) Spaeny's doe-eyed innocence at the beginning slowly turns to a sexual hunger and then pure emptiness. She was molded into the "perfect" wife by Elvis, and she had no freedom to choose her path in life.

The movie looks gorgeous and the soundtrack is phenomenal. The choice by Elvis' estate to not let his music in the movie worked positively for it. Without that music, he loses some of the mystique he has. He's just a normal abusive man.

I really enjoyed Priscilla - it is quite a special film that I hope people find! The mainstream take on this story will always be Baz Luhrman's version, but this truly has something more to offer. And that's to say nothing of the direction; there's an almost Phantom Thread level of soft and silky atmosphere here that makes the whole thing feel like ASMR, which only heightens the dysfunction that occurs within that gentle world. I loved the subtlety to Sofia Coppola's direction and was compelled the entire time; I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. The fact that the story ends at what feels like the halfway point only drives home the feeling that, for Priscilla Presley, that's what it was. Unfortunately, this film does lose a bit of its momentum near the end as it becomes less cohesive and jumps years forward between scenes, but it didn't really detract from my enjoyment of the film. This is definitely my preferred film compared to last year's presentation of these characters.

Priscilla is a subtle piece of art from Sofia Coppola. Cailee Spaeny is a marvelous revelation while Jacob Elordi turns in a subdued, more complex version of Elvis. Highly recommend it.

It is difficult to imagine that Priscilla Presley was one of the producers of this awful film. It is easy to understand why daugher Lisa Marie refused to endorse the movie prior to her death. It is slow with too many scenes filmed in darkness, a mumbling Elvis who was impossible to understand, actors whose height difference was a distraction, NO Elvis music, a monotone delivery by the actress portraying Priscilla, and the emphasis that Elvis was creepily grooming 14 year old Priscilla for his 24 year old needs. There was no energy in the film, even the scenes of Las Vegas were a bore. Read Priscilla's book if you are interested in her life with Elvis. This movie does not deliver.

Imagine you're a teenage girl in love with the biggest celebrity the world has ever seen. Imagine he chooses you.

Priscilla Presley lived every teenager's fantasy, and every woman's heartbreak.

This film sensitively handles the power imbalance, choosing to show their relationship through Priscilla's eyes. With a male director, this could have easily become a male gaze fantasy, but with Sofia Coppola, it becomes far more realistic.

That's not to say there are uncomfortable moments which feel heavy to watch. For example, when Priscilla is parading clothes under the eye of Elvis and his male entourage, or when Elvis gaslights her. These scenes elicit sympathy from the viewer for Priscilla's plight. A young, lonely, naive woman who just wants the fairytale romance she's been promised.

I wasn't convinced Jacob Elordi could pull off a convincing Elvis, but he did an adequate job. I think his youth and non-exposure to the pop culture phenomenon that is Elvis played a big part. Cailee Spaeny protrayed Priscilla's naivety well, although I thought the height difference between her and Elordi made Priscilla all the more childlike... Maybe that was the goal.

I must mention set design. It was beautiful! The Christmas trees stuck in my mind, as well as a scene near the end where Elvis sits in a red room, framed by metal love hearts. Perfection.

Recommended for everyone who has/had a celebrity crush and wondered "what if?"

An invitation's made while you're in adolescence, from an older man who has some kind of presence, but your parents are quite carful, this could be so controversial, as time passes, they eventually consent. So you find your way to Graceland and move in, it's a strange life being partnered with The King, discover things aren't always bliss, that you're easy to dismiss, competition really gets, under your skin. After changing how you look, being disparaged, you're in a wedding dress and next you're married, with a daughter making three, it's fair to say there's little glee, and your partner seems to be, constantly harassed.

Two outstanding leading performances that leave you under no illusion of the perspective from one of them.

What I can't understand is why they would hire an actor who's 6'5" to play Elvis, when, in reality, he was 6 feet tall. Then they hire an actress who is 5'1" to portray a living person who is 5'4" tall. They look ridiculous next to each other! It's hard to equate that to our perception of Elvis and Priscilla. All I can think of is the casting was to assist with the portrayal of Elvis as an adult man and Priscilla being a young girl. The difference in their heights is distracting from what could've been a good story. Sofia Coppola is a talented director, but I think she missed the boat here. I'm disappointing because both my husband and I are huge Elvis fans.

No Joy

The story of this movie is simple, it's the life of Priscilla before and during her time with Elvis. As a young girl, 16/17 getting swooned into an infatuation with Elvis after a night they become closer and closer until she moves to him and they start a "life" together.

The movie is sad, the poor woman was treated like crap by this beloved man. I don't want to spoil it completely, yes it's a true story but on the other hand I had no idea about any of this until the movie.

Elvis isn't this amazing be all end all guy, he is a star, who struggles with self confidence and takes that out on Priscilla, there are some intense scenes, and very little to smile about.

The movie is good, I don't really see myself watching this one again, not that it's bad it's just a bit heavy, that's a testament to the terrific acting all round.

A bit slow, not amazing but not bad, decent watch 6/10.

It is 1949, and American teenager Priscilla Beaulieu is in Germany with her parents. At a party one night, she meets Elvis Presley, who is stationed in the same military base as her father. The King is drawn to her, while she is smitten by his down-to-earth charm and seemingly genuine humanity. As time goes on, the two forge a relationship, and by 1963, she is living with him in Memphis. However, being The King's wife proves more difficult than she imagined, and far more lonesome.

Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, and based on 'Elvis and Me' by Priscilla Presley and Sandra Harmon, 'Priscilla' is a visually evocative drama both striking and flawed. Firstly, the title is something of a misnomer, as this is not the story of Priscilla Presley's life, rather an overview of the years she spent with Elvis (one wonders why the source material's title was not retained). The narrative focuses on her growing isolation, trapped in Graceland, at the beck and call of her controlling husband. However, due to Coppola's cold approach to the themes of agency and control, her examination of same leaves one oddly unmoved.

Moreover, despite the fact that she is ostensibly the central character, we aren't offered insight into Priscilla's motivations, or aspirations, nor does she have much of a personality. She is a soft-spoken, kind-hearted girl at the beginning and- for all intents and purposes- the very same at the end. Coppola's dialogue lacks wit, while Sarah Flack's ponderous editing leaves proceedings feeling lethargic- all the more so due to the dearth of characterisation and dialogue therein.

Some critics are quick to state that the film is purposefully superficial, that Coppola is interested only in the surface level. By focusing on the skin, as it were, and not the heart beneath, she re-enforces the idea that everything in Elvis's life was an easily purchasable object, even Priscilla. However, as the title would suggest, this is not meant to be a movie about Elvis. Therefore, the scant character development or depth with regard to Priscilla is alienating. We don't have much reason to root for her, except as a result of the obvious distaste engendered by Elvis's mood swings and controlling behaviour.

As a result, the audience feels detached from proceedings, disconnected from the characters both emotionally and psychologically. Although Coppola creates a more human version of The King than viewers saw in Baz Luhrman's 'Elvis' or Liza Johnson's 'Elvis & Nixon', by demythologizing and bringing him down to earth, much of his charisma is diluted. The film's version of the man is a brooding, volatile control freak, without much magnetism or charm. Furthermore, secondary characters are barely more than shadows in darkness; you can hardly make them out at all.

Conversely, Coppola - and frequent collaborator Philippe Le Sourd's - cinematography is stunning. Their composition makes Priscilla appear small and out of place compared to Elvis, like a China doll discarded in a playground. Their use of juxtaposing colours adds to the luxury of Graceland, as well as to Priscilla's isolation, while the soft lighting throughout lends the film an air of romance and intimacy. Everything in the film drips with textural richness, immersing the viewer in a lavish, decadent world, where every surface glistens with silk, velvet and gold.

In addition, Stacey Battat's costume design contributes to the personalities of the characters astutely (perhaps more so than Coppola's screenwriting), heightening the visual contrast between Elvis and Priscilla. Her costume, makeup and hairstyle changes, in particular, mirror her evolution from a shy girl to an independent woman- even if Coppola's screenplay doesn't detail that journey; Priscilla's varying appearance does. Additionally, Tamara Deverell's intricate production design- as well as the set decoration from Patricia Cuccia- lends the film authenticity and realism.

Moreover, the soundtrack is stirring, utilising both modern and period pieces. Although Elvis's estate refused permission for any of his songs to be used, Coppola makes excellent use of tracks by the likes of Dolly Parton and The Ronettes, bolstering the narrative's themes. Contemporary music is interwoven cleverly into proceedings, never feeling as jarring and out of place as it does in the aforementioned Luhrman's efforts, complementing things nicely.

Cailee Spaeny stars as Priscilla, opposite Jacob Elordi as Elvis. Spaeny displays Priscilla's innocence subtly, being nuanced and understated. Although there really isn't much for her to work with, she overcomes the limited characterisation of the role, while handling dull dialogue with ease. Similarly, Elordi makes Coppola's angsty, moody version of Elvis an interesting, multifaceted character. He might not really look like The King, but he shares a good chemistry with Spaeny. Unfortunately, a parade of supporting actors- notably Dagmara Dominczyk and Ari Cohen as Priscilla's parents- are largely wasted, given little to do.

In conclusion, Sofia Coppola's 'Priscilla' is trying to say some interesting things about fame, agency and control, but never gets around to saying them. Coppola's narrative is too cold and calculated, while her characterisation and dialogue are too minimalist to make much impact. Conversely, the cinematography and production design are striking, while the stirring score complements proceedings cleverly. Cailee Spaeny does fine work as the titular character, as does her co-star Jacob Elordi as Elvis. Although it has its moments, it's a moody blue film that suspicious minds might want to return to sender.

Priscilla is from her side, from her perspective, so it switches between times of quiet shyness and awkwardness to scenes of a lavish fun dream life. Anyone could see how it would be very easy to get carried away in the situation she found herself in. Visually the film was very dreamy and beautiful, I love the little clips and montages of fun nights out, reminded me of Goodfellas or Casino, and I was more than happy to watch Priscilla change amazing outfits like 100 times. Also relieved to report Jacob Elordi was a very convincing Elvis, not corny at all and nailed the voice. Also I loooved the choice to not use the real Elvis's face on records and merch in the movie, it all had Jacob Elordi as Elvis on it, it was such a charming detail and keeps you more in the world of the movie. Really fresh fun soundtrack too. I would say Priscilla is another recent example of a movie that's made like specifically for women, so men/male critics will friggin haaaate it. Like men really can't consider for a second that some things just literally aren't FOR them.

It was ok. I had a hard time with the way the actors looked. The real Elvis and Priscilla were each unusually stunning. Actors portraying them are attractive... but to really capture the genuine essence of the true story...for me, actors should have been as stunning as the real people. Also Elvis 5' 11" Priscilla 5' 4"...Elvis actor 6' 5" Priscilla 5' 1"... just came across as peculiar.

The acting was stellar, the story was...well it was Priscilla's story, and I believe, certainly worth telling. The actress playing Priscilla was superb, but I had a hard time getting past her diminutive stature, especially against a 6' 5" Elvis...I felt like the movie was worth seeing, but felt like it was missing something. Left me feeling like I wanted more..more emotion, more details, more of the story.

I prefer the 1988 TV "Elvis & Me".

Priscilla does really well when it comes to cinematography and direction. There are good shots in the movie and Coppola did an amazing job as director.

However, the screenplay was very disappointing to me. The story feels slow at times and gets into a repetitive cycle after a while: Elvis does something horrible to Priscilla, they fight, Priscilla hesitates to leave him, and finally forgives him for unexplainable reasons. And in the end, when she finally leaves him, we don't know what finally made her make the decision, she just leaves. Moreover, I was expecting to see more of Priscilla's life where Elvis is not a central part of the story, as the title might have suggested, but the film starts when she meets him and ends when he is no longer part of her life.

Apart from that, I think Cailee Spaeny did an incredible job and is the highlight of the movie. I have mixed feelings about Jacob Elordi, at times he felt like the perfect choice for the role, but other times it felt like I was watching his Euphoria character.

The movie is a beautifully decorated but empty box.

Director Sofia Coppola is known for her slowburning character portraits and this movie is no different, but this being a lovestory I missed something quite crucial:

The bad: I truly tried to give it a chance, to not be too critical about the likeness of the actor who played Elvis. Because he didnt impress me at all with his looks, nor his accent, nor his (lack of) charisma.

The real Elvis had instant charm and tons of charisma, this actor has not enough character to personify the great Elvis, but let's forget about that for a moment, there is something else really wrong with this love story:

More bad: there is no true drama or fiery romance! This being a love story and all I was expecting fireworks, but none of that. This entire story just toddled along gently, with several tedious lovey dovey meetings between Elvis and Priscilla, but it never elevated to something worth getting excited about. A definite lack of chemistry between these 2 lovebirds.

Not terrible for sure, but quite uneventful and a bit boring to be honest, not at all what it was hyped up to be. It's basically not much more than a girly movie about puppy love, with mediocre acting performances and a definite lack of true drama or any drama or romance at all, to be honest!