Dreamily gazing at the album covers of was not, statistically speaking, a rare habit among American teen girls in the late 1950s and early B次元官网网址�60s.
But for teenage fantasy became a strange and surreal reality. Sofia CoppolaB次元官网网址檚 starring captures all the dreaminess, the absurdity and, finally, the nightmare of falling in love with Elvis.
Priscilla was just 14 years-old B次元官网网址� a 9th grader B次元官网网址� when she first met him. It was 1959. She was living in West Germany, where her Air Force officer stepfather was stationed. The swoony early scenes of CoppolaB次元官网网址檚 film find a solitary Priscilla sipping soda in a Navy base diner while a cover of Frankie AvalonB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淰enusB次元官网网址� (B次元官网网址淰enus, make her fair / A lovely girl with sunlight in her hairB次元官网网址�) plays around her.
A man approaches and asks if she likes Elvis. Of course she does. Would she like to meet him? Um, what? After some negotiations with her parents, Priscilla is sitting there on the sofa at a small party when the King of Rock B次元官网网址榥B次元官网网址� Roll, himself (Jacob Elordi), strolls down the stairs. Big, big sigh.
Coppola, the writer-director of B次元官网网址淭he Virgin Suicides,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淟ost in TranslationB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淪omewhere,B次元官网网址� has always been innately attuned to the forming identities, swelling desires and intimate revelations of young women. In the story of Priscilla Presley (the film is based on her 1985 memoir, ), Coppola has found a tale tailor-made for her delicately perceptive style of filmmaking.
As a movie, B次元官网网址淧riscillaB次元官网网址� is the diametric opposite of Where was lurid and careening, CoppolaB次元官网网址檚 is muted and textured. Her film is a kind of fairy tale that turns claustrophobic and cautionary.
B次元官网网址淧riscillaB次元官网网址� is, at least at first, quite funny. After Priscilla initially catches ElvisB次元官网网址� eye at that party, sheB次元官网网址檚 back at school learning about the food groups. How could anyone possibly stomach that? Or when, after Elvis hasnB次元官网网址檛 called following his stint in the military, PriscillaB次元官网网址檚 mother asks her if there arenB次元官网网址檛 any boys in school she might be interested in, instead. Priscilla doesnB次元官网网址檛 need to say anything; just the image of lining up your average 9th grade boy against Elvis Presley is enough.
Yet their courtship continues in somewhat traditional fashion. Elvis, played with relaxed magnetism by Elordi (B次元官网网址淭he Kissing Booth,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淪altburnB次元官网网址�), is drawn to Priscilla because she reminds him of home; itB次元官网网址檚 clear her purity is part of her appeal to him. ItB次元官网网址檚 a long time before they have sex, though her youth remains tacitly problematic. B次元官网网址淲ow, sheB次元官网网址檚 young,B次元官网网址� says one woman watching Elvis lead Priscilla upstairs. B次元官网网址淟ike a little girl.B次元官网网址�
Their life together is initially sweet if deranged. Priscilla drifts through a dream world even if ElvisB次元官网网址� extremes are glaring to us. His bedroom in Graceland is comically gaudy. B次元官网网址淚 got this for you,B次元官网网址� we hear Elvis say kindly, before a handgun is handed over.
No Presley songs play in B次元官网网址淧riscilla.B次元官网网址� (While Priscilla Presley is an executive producer, the Elvis estate didnB次元官网网址檛 participate in the film.) But it does share a telling track ( ) with Terence MalickB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淏adlands,B次元官网网址� another movie about an underage teen girl (Sissy Spacek) who throws her life in with a charismatic drifter with matinee-idol looks (Martin Sheen).
And like they do for Holly in B次元官网网址淏adlands,B次元官网网址� things turn increasingly dark for Priscilla. Elvis treats her like a doll he keeps at home while he goes in and out. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 either me or a career, baby,B次元官网网址� he tells her. Coppola, who dedicates the movie to her mother, Eleanor Coppola, has long specialized in gilded cages (B次元官网网址淢arie Antoinette,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淭he Bling RingB次元官网网址�). Graceland turns out to be a prison to Priscilla.
There arenB次元官网网址檛 many false notes in CoppolaB次元官网网址檚 richly layered film, handsomely shot by Philippe Le Sourd, with sumptuous production design from Tamara Deverell and fine, toned-down costumes by Stacey Battat.
But B次元官网网址淧riscillaB次元官网网址� fades where B次元官网网址淓lvisB次元官网网址� found its footing. When PresleyB次元官网网址檚 downturn accelerates in Las Vegas, LuhrmannB次元官网网址檚 movie swelled with tragedy. In the same time period here, Priscilla awakens. Yet it feels underdeveloped, coming too quickly, in a sudden rush B次元官网网址� albeit a terrific rush, with Dolly Parton playing.
A constant throughout, though, is Spaeny. This is a deft breakthrough performance perfectly poised between youthful fantasy and adult reality.
B次元官网网址淧谤颈蝉肠颈濒濒补,B次元官网网址� an A24 release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for drug use and some language. Running time: 113 minutes. Three stars out of four.
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