We all know the story of Elvis Presley: how he lit up the world with his charm, his talent and his charisma. And, thanks to her book Elvis and Me, we all now know the story of Priscilla Presley, who was whisked to Graceland to be a pet.
Priscilla, the latest feature and biopic from Sofia Coppola, tells the story of Priscilla Beaulieu, beginning when she was 14 at a diner doing homework, to her becoming Priscilla Presley.
The best part of this movie, for me, was the casting. Jacob Elordi is no stranger to playing a hot villain. Coppola uses this to her advantage.
Elvis was very well known for being insanely handsome and charming. It was easy to get swept up into his looks and attitude. He was a heartthrob for a reason.
I will admit that there were many times in the movie when I was so completely enamored by Elordi. I would almost forget he was Elvis and would just watch him. And then he would call Priscilla “Little One”, or he would hit her across the face with a pillow. You watch Elordi have this swagger and confidence and you get swept into it and then he does something terrifying or just gross and you remember.
Many of the scenes in public feature some of Elordi’s most dashing moments, showcasing why nobody really batted an eye at him back then. He was Elvis Presley. He could do no wrong. Every 14-year-old girl wanted to be with him, but Priscilla just happened to find him.
Cailee Spaeny, who plays Priscilla, also has this face that looks so young, despite the fact that she is 25 years old in actuality. And, standing at 5’ 1” next to Elordi’s 6′ 5”, their characters’ age gap is so horrifically apparent throughout the movie. At one point, Elvis tells her that she needs to make sure her homework is done. And we see him at her high school graduation.
Coppola completely allows this movie to be about Priscilla. There is a dinner party scene where the camera stays on Priscilla for a painstakingly long time, showcasing only her reactions to everything going on around her. And, despite the fact that Elvis is deeply against them having sex in the beginning of the movie and we see a few small intimate moments between them, Coppola never actually includes a sex scene. The only real indication of them consummating their marriage is Priscilla telling Elvis she’s pregnant.
Many of the moments that are supposed to be happy don’t feel happy. Their wedding, Priscilla telling Elvis she’s pregnant, them sitting in the hospital with Lisa – all of these moments almost feel like they were just supposed to happen, not that anyone wanted them to. Neither Priscilla nor Elvis ever seem particularly happy, and the cinematography feels purposefully static and dull.
The ending of the movie is one of my favorite scenes. After Priscilla tells Elvis she’s leaving, we watch her say goodbye to everyone and drive away. Despite the fact that we all know Elvis died roughly four years later, there are no time jumps or references to that situation. The movie ends with Priscilla leaving. The expression on her face is not necessarily a happy one, but the moment feels freeing nonetheless. Priscilla herself said in an interview, back in 2016, “I did not divorce him because I didn’t love him. He was the love of my life, but I had to find out about the world.”