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.

Priscilla takes the spotlight instead of Elvis in this one. It had that retro aesthetic, but it was portrayed differently from the 50s/60s in Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis.' This film had a more understated, even slightly gloomy vibe in comparison. Andrew just like the visuals, we get a quieter look at the relationship between Elvis and Priscilla, told from her perspective.

The soundtrack is nice, you don't hear much of Presley's music. Unlike last year's Elvis biopic, this one doesn't cover an entire career; it's solely focused on their marriage. It feels like we spend a significant amount of time watching how they met, but the later years felt like we were skipping stuff. Priscilla seems isolated and controlled by Elvis, whose presence is distant in the movie. The first part of the movie feels like we're sitting through Priscilla's memories, but the last half feels like we're skimming through them.

It's hard not to compare them, but Austin Butler's portrayal of Elvis is better than Jacob Elordi's; Butler's performance is almost iconic. Jacob's fine, I just think there was a disconnect between Jacob's speaking voice and his singing voice. The age difference between Elvis and Priscilla is depicted better here, more creepily, mainly due to the innocence Cailee Spaeny conveys, emphasized further by the height difference.

There isn't much chemistry between Elvis and Priscilla depicted in this film. Maybe it's how it was in reality and how it's depicted, but it seems like they fell in love over small talk, like "hey, I miss home," "hey, I like talking to you," and then it jumps to the abusive, controlling part of their relationship filled with arguments. Intimacy over small talk.

I do think Cailee Spaeny did a great job as Priscilla. You can always tell how she feels, and the movie doesn't need to explicitly state "oh, she's sad" for you to understand. We witness the transformation of Priscilla over the years, and Spaeny flawlessly captures the journey from an innocent young fan to a frustrated woman trapped in a controlling and isolating relationship, culminating in her portrayal of a grown woman who had had enough of Elvis' behavior.

Honestly, the film isn't particularly special, especially considering the visually epic story we got from the 2021 Elvis movie. I thought it would bring something different or offer deeper insights, especially since it's a well-known story and was recently told on the big screen. But it doesn't feel deeply felt or ravishingly detailed as described.

Vegas backdrop looked so fake, like not even cgi, more like when they build small miniature towns and shoot those. Movie's Anticlimactic too.

Certain aspects of her life are teased, like her affair with the instructor, which seems essential to the story but is only hinted at. It goes back to how the last years of their marriage are depicted, making it feel like we're skimming through memories instead of experiencing them. Maybe it was just to keep her innocence.

It's a story that's already famous, so I expected this film to bring a unique and possibly deeper perspective, but it doesn't offer anything that isn't already known. It feels like it missed the mark and turned out mediocre, uninteresting, and somewhat forgettable for me.

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.