Dreamily gazing at the album covers of was not, statistically speaking, a rare habit among American teen girls in the late 1950s and early 91裸聊视频�60s.
But for teenage fantasy became a strange and surreal reality. Sofia Coppola91裸聊视频檚 starring captures all the dreaminess, the absurdity and, finally, the nightmare of falling in love with Elvis.
Priscilla was just 14 years-old 91裸聊视频� a 9th grader 91裸聊视频� 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 Coppola91裸聊视频檚 film find a solitary Priscilla sipping soda in a Navy base diner while a cover of Frankie Avalon91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淰enus91裸聊视频� (91裸聊视频淰enus, make her fair / A lovely girl with sunlight in her hair91裸聊视频�) 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 91裸聊视频榥91裸聊视频� Roll, himself (Jacob Elordi), strolls down the stairs. Big, big sigh.
Coppola, the writer-director of 91裸聊视频淭he Virgin Suicides,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淟ost in Translation91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淪omewhere,91裸聊视频� 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, 91裸聊视频淧riscilla91裸聊视频� is the diametric opposite of Where was lurid and careening, Coppola91裸聊视频檚 is muted and textured. Her film is a kind of fairy tale that turns claustrophobic and cautionary.
91裸聊视频淧riscilla91裸聊视频� is, at least at first, quite funny. After Priscilla initially catches Elvis91裸聊视频� eye at that party, she91裸聊视频檚 back at school learning about the food groups. How could anyone possibly stomach that? Or when, after Elvis hasn91裸聊视频檛 called following his stint in the military, Priscilla91裸聊视频檚 mother asks her if there aren91裸聊视频檛 any boys in school she might be interested in, instead. Priscilla doesn91裸聊视频檛 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 (91裸聊视频淭he Kissing Booth,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淪altburn91裸聊视频�), is drawn to Priscilla because she reminds him of home; it91裸聊视频檚 clear her purity is part of her appeal to him. It91裸聊视频檚 a long time before they have sex, though her youth remains tacitly problematic. 91裸聊视频淲ow, she91裸聊视频檚 young,91裸聊视频� says one woman watching Elvis lead Priscilla upstairs. 91裸聊视频淟ike a little girl.91裸聊视频�
Their life together is initially sweet if deranged. Priscilla drifts through a dream world even if Elvis91裸聊视频� extremes are glaring to us. His bedroom in Graceland is comically gaudy. 91裸聊视频淚 got this for you,91裸聊视频� we hear Elvis say kindly, before a handgun is handed over.
No Presley songs play in 91裸聊视频淧riscilla.91裸聊视频� (While Priscilla Presley is an executive producer, the Elvis estate didn91裸聊视频檛 participate in the film.) But it does share a telling track ( ) with Terence Malick91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淏adlands,91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频淏adlands,91裸聊视频� things turn increasingly dark for Priscilla. Elvis treats her like a doll he keeps at home while he goes in and out. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 either me or a career, baby,91裸聊视频� he tells her. Coppola, who dedicates the movie to her mother, Eleanor Coppola, has long specialized in gilded cages (91裸聊视频淢arie Antoinette,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淭he Bling Ring91裸聊视频�). Graceland turns out to be a prison to Priscilla.
There aren91裸聊视频檛 many false notes in Coppola91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频淧riscilla91裸聊视频� fades where 91裸聊视频淓lvis91裸聊视频� found its footing. When Presley91裸聊视频檚 downturn accelerates in Las Vegas, Luhrmann91裸聊视频檚 movie swelled with tragedy. In the same time period here, Priscilla awakens. Yet it feels underdeveloped, coming too quickly, in a sudden rush 91裸聊视频� 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.
91裸聊视频淧谤颈蝉肠颈濒濒补,91裸聊视频� 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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