Elvis is about the life of the legendary Elvis Presley, and also about his association with his manager, Tom Parker. The film is directed by Baz Luhrmann and hence the execution is quite effective and stylish. The topic is very exciting as many would not know about Elvis Presley’s rise and the hold his manager had over him, which led to some dramatic developments. A few scenes are terrific and very well executed, especially how certain moves of Elvis made women go crazy. His iconic songs are also well woven into the narrative. However, at 159 minutes, the film is too lengthy. In the second half, the film gets a bit repetitive. Certain developments of his life are not explained properly at all. The makers seem to have kept the focus chiefly on Elvis and Tom Parker and to some extent, Elvis’s relationship with his mother. The rest of the tracks are not given prominence. Speaking of performances, Austin Butler comes out with flying colours. Taking up the role was a risk but he succeeds. Tom Hanks is outstanding. We have never seen him do something like this before and he nails the part. He deserves not just an Oscar nomination but also the award for the Best Supporting Actor unless someone does better than him this year. Helen Thomson and Richard Roxburgh are fine as Elvis's parents. Kelvin Harrison Jr is lovely as B B King. Others do well. All in all, Elvis is a well-made saga and worth watching especially for Tom Hanks’ unforgettable performance.

My rating - *** ½ out of 5!