Elvis is a biographical drama on the life of Elvis Presley as seen through the eyes of his manager Colonel Tom Parker. The story here is dazzling and filled with glitz and glam. There is a consistent effort made on the tone of the film in making it bright and vibrant. The screenplay standing at about a 160 minutes may seem daunting but if you are a fan of the legend and fan of his work, there are plenty of moments that you will take along with you over the course of the film.

The drama opens with a voiceover, featuring the manager of Elvis Presley and it is through his gaze that we are given a glimpse into his world of rock and roll. I really did enjoy its world building where a young Elvis took a liking to the music culture that was prevalent in his neighbourhood. But it was indeed the genius of the man to imbibe that culture and spell it out into a style of his own that arguably revolutionized the music industry for days to follow. We also get a glimpse of his fanatic fandom through his vibrant and dazzling performances.

One of the strongest aspects of the drama and a fact that I was oblivious about was the political angle to the biopic. Many of Elvis’ songs had a political statement to them, based on all the current affairs taking place in his country at that point of time. This also did give a glimpse into the psyche of the individual who may have slowly been depressed only to channelize it through his music. And yes he was a rebel too which was very distinctly shown in a scene there a supposed Christmas Special went into a political overdrive but not before being lapped up by the audience.

The drama is predictable and follows the standard heartbeats of a biopic. But what compliments the drama well is its music which beautifully blends itself with the proceedings. Much like Bohemian Rhapsody, music does play an important part in the screenplay which also rescues the screenplay when the writing runs thin. But essentially at its core, the film is an exploration of the delicate relationship between Elvis and his manager, the two representing the two extremes of ideologies and fate. While one is still remembered as a legend, the other is forgotten into oblivion. Their strained companionship is well explored that does make for a compelling watch.

The events leading up to the final act have a sense of remorse to it wherein it pains to see the downfall of an artist due to his health. But as they say, you can take the artist out of the art but never the art out of the artist, and so the final act does pay a fitting tribute to the legend of rock and roll who may have inspired many a generations! All in all, the screenplay is predictable but absolutely dazzling!