Some people thought I was crazy declaring Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” an Oscar contender way back in May, but I saw something in this film that made me believe it would be immensely liked by AMPAS voters.
Fact of the matter is that for all of the artful ambition Luhrmann paints his films with, he’s first and foremost a man of the people. He makes movies for the mainstream and that can be seen not just in “Elvis,” but also “Moulin Rouge,” “The Great Gatsby,” “Strictly Ballroom” and “Romeo & Juliet.” All of these were crowd pleasers.
So it’s not really that surprising to learn that “Elvis” had a rousing screening for Oscar voters on Saturday. There were standing ovations throughout the film. When Luhrmann and Austin Butler’s names appeared on-screen the crowd roared. It felt like a concert rather than a movie screening.
The film has made around $286 million worldwide, and has more than tripled its $85 million budget. It’s also one of the few major studio films of this past summer to have earned mostly positive reviews (along with “Nope,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” and “The Black Phone”).
“Elvis” is not the train wreck some critics would have had you believe. Luhrmann’s biopic is a flashy, and does make you feel pummelled by the end of its 159 minute runtime, but it’s not unworthy. There’s real passion in the delivery. Luhrmann clearly knows the essence, the legend, of Elvis Presley, and what made him such a paradigm-shifting figure immediately after his first single “That’s All Right Mama” was released. Compared to “Bohemian Rhapsody,” at least this was a musical biopic that was more original than the norm.
I fully support its Oscar run and believe a Best Picture nomination is more than likely.
Ferguson had briefly teased the movie as a romance, while Lee previously told Screen that she was “scared to do it,” explaining that it’s a romance between two women and a role she hadn’t tackled before.