NOTE: While the WGA strike is officially over, as of me writing this, SAG-AFTRA is still on strike, demanding fair wages, better working conditions, protection from AI, among many other important issues that face actors, as well as other sections of the entertainment industry. I am in full support of the strike, and I encourage you to read about it, spread word, and if possible, consider donating to the Entertainment Community Fund, which helps financially struggling artists and workers in the film and television industry. Thank you.
Given how relatively close this came out after Baz Luhrmann’s delightfully extravagant and unhinged Elvis, it is easy to frame everything about Priscilla, the screen adaptation of the autobiography Elvis And Me by Priscilla Presley and Sandra Harmon, as a sort of antidote or refutation of that film and the choices it made in exploring Elvis’ complicated legacy. However, Sofia Coppola is simply far too interesting and sophisticated of a filmmaker to take her storytelling in that direction, and the film overall deserves better because it is really good, and probably one of her more fascinating works to date. Those Coppolas, pretty good at making movies.
The film can certainly be compares to some of her previous works, as it does fit in some ideas that she has explored prior, and continues to have a fascination with. Marie Antoinette is a big one, as it also touches on the primal joys of young womanhood, and how they inhabit the world around them, especially when its in a place of great privilege. In a sense, this is probably her most calculated and meticulous scripting yet, carefully showcasing the way Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny) becomes seduced and enraptured by everything Elvis (Jacob Elordi) had to offer her, despite a concerning age gap with him being 24 and her being 14.
While the real Priscilla Presley by her own words doesn’t hold much resentment towards Elvis, Coppola makes no bones about framing Elvis in a more critical light here. However, she also acknowledges the allure, the romance. After all, imagine the biggest star in the world setting their eyes on you. It would take a lot of strength to resist something like that, especially given all the opportunities that can come with a big change in lifestyle. Though, Priscilla unfortunately felt more caged up as Elvis’ stardom grew. Can’t have his female fans constantly see him with his love, as justified by the unseen Colonel Tom Parker.
Coppola’s fascination with the interiority of the kind of female characters comes at a peak with this, putting you in Priscilla’s headspace, which feels as dreamy as you’d expect her life to be, while she slowly but surely reveals the cracks in the glass before finally tearing it all down, revealing the ugly truth for what it actually is. A draining of one’s identity, of personhood, the feeling that everything in your life is defined by someone you love, but seemingly doesn’t share that same love back, at least, not like he used to. Back when you were more impressionable, more easier to control.
The two performances at the center of this film are tremendous. Jacob Elordi does a fantastic Elvis, though his accent slips away on occasion whenever he speaks softer than normal levels. He is charming in all the right ways, capturing that wild spirit that can seduce anyone from running away from their boring life as he towers over Priscilla. It helps that he’s easy on the eyes. But this is Cailee Spaeny’s show through and through. Her ability to convey so much in moments of silence are astounding, getting all the joy, the euphoria, the loneliness, the frustration, and the heartbreak that came with the character’s journey. It’s a truly impressive feat, and she effortlessly carries the film.
Sofia Coppola’s ability to encompass a specific feeling and emotional journey through her visual style is thoroughly engrossing. From the pastel color schemes, the dreamlike cinematography from Philippe Le Sourd, the use of classic rock and roll tracks and the luscious score from Sons of Raphael, it’s a near perfect combination of filmmaker and subject matter. As an experience, it is heavy on vibes and atmosphere, but it’s done with a lot of intention. It’s easy to see where Coppola is aiming her sights, and that clarity makes the film, even at its most indulgent and art-house, fairly accessible. The emotional through line exploring Priscilla’s journey to rebuild herself after being shattered by the regrets and manipulation she has been dealt with over many years is a deeply moving one, and Coppola treats it with great care and empathy. Though it may structurally rely too much on the biopic formula, following one event after another, it’s the moments beyond that formula that stick with you, engaging with all the uncomfortable yet necessary truths, which is where Coppola tends work best. But would it have killed them to include a scene where Priscilla is working on The Naked Gun?
Priscilla is now out in theaters.