source: Shangri-La Suite

I gave this a four-star because of the artistic and independent value. I don't feel like there was a lot of research done on the Elvis character. Also as much as I love Ron Livingston. He made Elvis look like a troll. This was definitely not Elvis. I have read a lot of books about Elvis and he was never gloomy and downtrodden like this movie portrays. Elvis was the first pop, rockstar ever. This movie makes him look like just any other rockstar that's losing grip on his fans. Never the truth with Elvis He also used a lot of discretion on who he was vulnerable with. Elvis was a family man and this movie makes him look like a burn out. Elvis was never a burn out. He was going strong and selling out everything till the day he died. The rest of the movie was pretty good. Probably where they found the character for Yellowstone. And thank God for that show.

The movie is a story about two lovers on a quest to kill Elvis. The story is interesting and the supporting characters are more interesting than the leads especially Teijo Littlefoot. Worth the watch.

It had a lot of potential but it doesn't quite deliver the goods. The feeling of the film is a bit weird, not necessarily in a bad way though but it's all very dreamy and surreal, perhaps to empathize the fact that our 2 leads are not really quite living in the same world as the rest of us. With voice-over narration (that reminded me of the ones that Wes Anderson often has in his films) by Burt Reynolds of all people and a cheap 70's look visually you can't say that the effort wasn't there even if the results might been a bit mixed. I kinda wished that they'd went in even harder with the surrealism and maybe put in a bit of dark comedy moments in it, because many of the dramatic moments (particulary those involving the Presleys) doesn't quite work. And although the story does indeed involve Elvis Presley, Priscilla Presley and even Lisa Marie in smaller parts it's not at all based on any true story and I don't really think that Ron Livingston managed to capture Elvis' essence for that matter so Elvis fans might be let down based on that alone. The main focus is on Emily Browning's and Luke Grimes' characters though of course and while they aren't bad their characters could have been a little more fleshed out. But even if it didn't make me go wow or anything it's not a bad attempt for a first time full length movie by director Eddie O'Keefe.

Burt Reynolds narrates this pastiche crime drama in a faux documentary fashion. The tale of a troubled institutionalised teenage girl (Emily Browning) who meets a deranged, part Indian Jack (Luke Grimes) in a rehab centre and go on a killing spree in 1974 which would culminate in them going to Los Angeles to kill Elvis Presley (Ron Livingston) who himself is driven to doubts as he prepares for his upcoming concerts. The film seems to retread Terrence Malick's Badlands but is not as involving, nor is it nihilistic or darkly comical as Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers. With the appearance of Elvis, it also reminds you of True Romance. All three are far superior films. Despite its derivative origins, director Eddie O'Keefe has nothing new to add, apart from delivering a nasty brutal and idiotic film.

Shangri-La Suite