★ 7 / 10
the music was the message
blanche-2
It was wonderful to hear Elvis' actual voice and music coming out of the mouth of Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. Frankly, I could have used even more of Presley's…
It was wonderful to hear Elvis' actual voice and music coming out of the mouth of Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. Frankly, I could have used even more of Presley's magnificent voice throughout.One of the previous posters mentioned that Marty Lacker commented on this film. I was in touch with Marty during my time on the Elvis message board and always enjoyed his comments. I regret that I couldn't find his comments on the film here. I don't imagine he liked it much.There was only one Elvis, and while you may be able to approximate him, you will never find anyone who will ultimately satisfy as Elvis. Kurt Russell probably came the closest, but I haven't seen everyone.All that being said, I enjoyed Part I of this miniseries more than Part II, and I did like Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, especially in Part I. I read some of the posts which mentioned he did not have Elvis' stature.Elvis Presley was one of the most gorgeous men who ever lived. He had it ALL. And that includes height. If you're asking to see an Elvis clone portraying Elvis, if it were possible, Elvis wouldn't have been the unique individual he was.The role of Elvis in this bio did not call for an Elvis impersonator, it called for an actor, and Rhys-Meyers is definitely that.The purpose of this film, and the purpose of the Elvis by the Presleys documentary, was to introduce Presley to a new audience. For this they chose a handsome, up-and-coming actor, in order to bring in the youth market.Rhys-Meyers is Irish. He played a man he didn't know personally and a man he didn't know very much about. He also had to play the script he was given. With those caveats, he was excellent, and, having seen Presley in some of the performances recreated in this film, he had obviously studied Elvis' movements.Though the miniseries captured many of the details we know of Elvis' story, in the end, it didn't capture Elvis himself - and may I say AGAIN, if that were an easy or even POSSIBLE thing to do, well, Elvis wouldn't be the legend he is today.The script I do not believe demonstrated Elvis' tremendous charm and charisma, nor his sense of humor. That was a problem in the script. It's very possible that given the opportunity Rhys-Meyers would have been up to the task.What the script did show is the conflict between Colonel Parker, well played by Randy Quaid, and Presley, giving us a hint of what was a very complicated relationship.Parker was about money; Elvis was about creativity. But it was more than that - Parker had absolutely no understanding of Elvis the artist, and in a sense, he dismissed that side of him.Parker did a great many good things for Elvis but in the end, he held him back tremendously. I knew that Elvis wanted to do the remake of A Star is Born, but I had not known (and I assume it's true) that Elvis wanted to do West Side Story.Since Tony is usually played by a very romantic type whom one cannot believe is affiliated with a gang, Presley would have been inspired casting.Not making better movies is one of the great tragedies of his career, along with never touring the world. I really have no use for Colonel Parker for a variety of reasons, which I won't go into here. And it wasn't all the Colonel - some of the problems had to do with Elvis' inability to let go.The film ends in a strange place - the '68 Comeback Special, and it is there the failing of Rhys-Meyers' physical appearance as Elvis really shows up. Elvis was beyond gorgeous on that special, and Rhys-Meyers just did not demonstrate those shocking good looks.And why end it there? Elvis became a smash hit in Vegas, and he had several successful years on tour before his lifestyle caught up with him.With the exception of Rhys-Meyers, Quaid, and Camryn Manheim as Gladys, there doesn't seem to have been much attention paid to the casting. Rose McGowan did not approximate the luscious Ann-Margret, and Antonia Bernath was not Priscilla.However, I think the miniseries did its job. We got to hear that glorious voice and see something of one of the most fascinating rags to riches story ever told. If the man was missing, I can't blame anyone but the man himself. He was one of a kind.
★ 8 / 10
Outsourcing Elvis
gradyharp
ELVIS is the DVD version of the much lauded television miniseries (it won both Golden Globe and Emmy awards for actors Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Camryn Manheim and…
ELVIS is the DVD version of the much lauded television miniseries (it won both Golden Globe and Emmy awards for actors Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Camryn Manheim and Randy Quaid): the transfer of the extended three hour long series to a single DVD format is successful and demonstrates once again that made of television movies can often be superior to the Hollywood format. The film is not without its flaws: the script by Patrick Sheane Duncan is painfully pedestrian at times and the use of lip-syncing using a variety of Presley recordings isn't always convincing. But director James Steven Sadwith manages to overcome the obstacles and gives us a rather personalized view of the life of the King.
The film covers Elvis Presley's life from his near poverty beginnings in Tupelo to his worldwide fame and fortune at his 'comeback' in 1968. The development of the committed guitar-playing singer from his first record through the development of his 'style' and the ultimate glory and insecurity that paired his magic time is well told. If the story seems to be repetitive and goes on too long, then it also is giving the audience time to see the man behind the shadow of fame.
Oddly enough Jonathan Rhys Meyers (now so superb in another biographical series as Henry VIII in 'The Tudors') was imported for the leading role, and while some may question the use of outsourcing here, Rhys Meyers is so convincing in every way that the reasons for casting him are clear. Camryn Manheim offers fine work as Presley's all-important mother and Robert Patrick plays his supportive father. Randy Quaid gives a bravura performance as the oddly successful Colonel Parker. Some of the other roles - Rose McGowan's misfired portrayal of Ann-Margaret and Antonia Bernath's of Priscilla - are less successful, but their contributions are balanced by the fine work of Tom Guinee as the pivotally important Sam Phillips.
In all this is a quality piece of work about one of America's icons whose presence is still palpable thirty years after Presley's untimely death at age 42. The awards given to this film are well earned and the DVD offers a fine (if long) evening of entertainment and nostalgia. Grady Harp
7.1/10
4.4K
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This is the full 2 episodes run-time, great biography movie. 9 / 10. Thanks Freeman.