Lamar Reviews - "Priscilla" (Airdate 11/17/2023)

Lamar Reviews - Priscilla (Airdate 11/17/2023)

If you are a devoted Elvis fan, this may not be the movie for you. If you loved the movie Elvis, starring Austin Butler, be happy with that, and skip this. This movie is based on Priscilla’s book Elvis and Me. This movie is not from Elvis’ point of view, it is solely through Pricilla’ eyes. For the record, I LOVE ELVIS! I am a fan. I love his music; I’ve been to Graceland. I have made my wishes known to my family. When I die, I plan on having an Elvis impersonator, The 68 Comeback Tour Elvis, not the overweight Elvis, sing “How Great Thou Art” at my funeral. Nobody does that song like Elvis. I want him to dab the sweat off his brow with a silk scarf and toss it to my Smokin’ Hot Wife Carla.  I say all that so that nobody thinks I’m dissing The King.

There are a few red flags and uncomfortable moments. Elvis was a 24 year old superstar when he met 14 year old Priscilla. He didn’t come to her house and sit in the swing on the porch, he took her to an adult party at his rented house in Germany, with alcohol, drugs, and smoking. This does have a creepy vibe to it.

Cailee Spaeny is fantastic as Priscilla the 14-year-old in love with one of the most famous men in the world. And she is even more so as Priscilla the lonely depressed 27-year-old who is stuck keeping the “home fires” burning at Graceland, while Elvis is away for months at a time making movies and having affairs with his leading ladies. Jocob Elordi is a passable Elvis, although he is 5 inches too tall. The movie is titled Priscilla, not Elvis.

One thing you won’t hear is any music by Elvis. Elvis Presley Enterprises refused to allow them to use any of Elvis’s songs.

The movie is 1 hour and 53 minutes, Rated-R for drug use and language.

The movie did a tremendous job making us feel the loneliness of being surrounded by everything money could buy, but being in a relationship where you are powerless, isolated, and constantly cheated on.

There is nothing new to learn about Elvis here. We already knew at 24 he dated a 14-year-old, he did not do this in secret, he did it with her parent’s blessing, everybody knew it, and yes it was a different time, 66% of doctors still thought smoking was ok. Does that make it right? No. Does the fact that they did not have sex until their wedding night, make it less creepy? No. The fact that drugs were a big part of his life is no surprise, they made him irrational and fueled his violent outbursts, and caused his death. But knowing it is one thing, seeing on the screen is another. Especially when you don’t get any of the great music, the silky voice, the gyrating dance moves, and the bigger than life charisma, to distract you from the uncomfortable truth.

What I am left with is a very good movie, that tells the story in the most straight forward way possible. It is a movie that is not fun to watch and left me more than a little depressed after seeing it. It is a movie that I am glad I don’t have to watch again. It is also a movie that every Elvis fan should watch, because Priscilla’s side of this relationship deserves to be told. She is owed that much for sure.

My Score: 5 Budweisers

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.