Elvis Presley. His talent, charisma destroy the boundaries of time and space. His sexuality is felt even through the TV screen - bursts in and fills all the space around you ... like a gust of air, so fresh and desirable, opens a window in a stuffy room, filling it with life-giving oxygen ... It's Magic. Elvis magic. On stage, he charms, giving no chance of resistance. It is no wonder that at concerts with the audience there was a complete madness.
Unfortunately, I didn’t even get a bit of that from the lead actor. All he has from Elvis is a fleeting resemblance. The movements on stage, the crown movements of Elvis, look hard to rehearse ... there is no lightness and ease. Elvis' passion and ability to wear bulky rings is like breathing... and looks natural and organic. For the actor, these rings are like a misunderstanding and a feeling of “in his pants and hat”. For the most part, the actor was disappointed.
Elvis meets his future wife when she is only 14. The actress in this role is clearly ten years older, but clumsy, clumsy grimaces trying to play a child. It's disgusting to watch.
Three hours to get information and just a little too much. The film disappointed.
The stars go out, and a good manager is always needed.
This was one of the first phrases the Colonel came up with. The truth is sad. Especially for the first Rock 'n' Roll star.
The film is delightful. When I saw Woody Allen’s cute Match Point actor, I decided I wouldn’t be able to watch Scrulette Johansson wow him. I really like him, and he looks like Elvis. Later that year, he played Elvis. I couldn’t resist it here.
The film did not bypass any fact from the life of the star. And I believe that the biography of great people should be known in this way. To be inspired. In some reviews, if you are a creative person, you must know the life of the Idol. This is both an inspiration and a narrative about the axioms that lie in wait along the way.
Well done everyone who made this movie. I’ve seen a lot of things while watching.
And it is no one’s fault that what was real was so exciting, even if, and, subsequently, sad.
There seems to be a physical law of equilibrium. It is impossible to fly without falling, at least for a while.
If you are a creative person, even well-known in narrow circles, these ups and downs await you also, even if not on such a tragic and stunning scale. This is what distinguishes a genius from an ordinary person. Apparently, Genius, comes into this life, ready to go through fire, water, and copper pipes, leave a trace like a meteorite.
What a meteorite! It's Elvis! How good is he? Because he discovered rock 'n' roll. He opened it. He became a revolutionary. And everything in his life was worth it, because no one on Earth has the right to judge a person who changed the world for the better.
Elvis Presley is one of the most influential singers of the XX century, who became an idol of millions during his lifetime. Despite being dubbed the King of Rock and Roll in the late 1950s, Elvis also sang blues, gospel, country music, and pop. His path to success was thorny, but it is the biography of this singer that convincingly shows the viewer the possibilities of show business.
Unfortunately, not many feature films have been made about Presley. But the TV movie 2005"Elvis" (which in Russia was translated as "Elvis"). In my opinion, the early years are the best of all other bioptics about him.
First of all, it should be noted that the locations are real objects related to the life of the singer (be it Graceland estate, or Sun Records recording studio in Memphis). Thanks to the work of costumers and artists, the atmosphere of the 50-60s of the XX century was conveyed very well and I did not find any specific "blunders" in such a historical film.
The focus of this biographical drama is the life of Elvis Presley from 1952 to 1968. We see the story of a young man who loved music all his life, who dreamed of a career in cinema, but after chasing a lot of money, managed to lose himself for a while. Perhaps that’s why 1968 in the film was the finale of the film, as the King’s triumphant return to the big stage after a long pause associated with the work of low-quality cinema. No less important seems the storyline associated with the difficult relationship of Elvis with his manager – Colonel Parker. This is the story of a business partnership that turned into a kind of tyranny - a thing quite common in show business.
In any biographical film, the selection of actors plays an important role. Of course, playing Elvis was a very difficult task for the actor, given the frenzied energy of the King of Rock and Roll. But Jonathan Reese Meyers still amazed me with his performance. Even if he was somewhere far from his prototype (especially in the scene of Elvis’s performance of the song “If I Can Dream” Reese Myers very much replayed) – he played Elvis quite well. And Elvis in his performance is a vulnerable person with a severe mental trauma, who became a doll in the hands of an experienced shark of show business Colonel Tom Parker. The creators of the TV movie could not pass by the topic of Presley’s abuse of various drugs. But whether out of a sense of compassion for the singer, who died in 1977, or reluctance to develop the topic further, on-screen Elvis still did not tarnish his reputation in the eyes of the viewer as a drug addict.
They were very similar to their prototypes Randy Quaid (Colonel Parker), Camryn Menheim (Gladys Presley), the star of the series “Charmed” Rose McGowan (Anne Margaret), and even the T-1000 from the movie “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” Robert Patrick (Vernon Presley). That’s who really didn’t fit in the role externally, it was Mark Adam and Clay Stickley, who played Scotty Moore and Bill Black – the first accompaniers of Elvis. However, in general, this did not affect the quality of the film, and only a fan of Elvis will pay attention to this. Antonia Bernatt, although externally and was not very similar to Priscilla Presley - the actress played very well.
In general, the film deserves to be watched by every fan, lover of Presley’s work, and those who only want to get acquainted with the life of the King of Rock and Roll. Moreover, in 2015 marks the 80th anniversary of the birth of this remarkable man who made an invaluable contribution to music.
9 out of 10
Another king played by Reese Myers. This time, the king of the stage.
I added Elvis, the Early Years to my watch list only because Jonathan Reese Meyers was in the lead role – an amazing, damn charming, talented actor of our time and my great love. Before this film, I was weak, if not familiar with the work of the great performer of rock and roll, and this picture became a kind of discovery for me, an initiation into the life of King Elvis.
After watching the picture and turned to the Internet, watched the recordings and filmography of Elvis Presley and realized how well the film reflected everything that should be known to fans of the singer and all those who would be interested.
The movie is long, almost 3 hours. But it looks in one breath. Yes, the script sags in some places, there are too many meaningless scenes with Priscilla, conversations with the hairdresser ... but overall, I really enjoyed it.
The cast:
1. Reese Meirs... I can talk about him for hours. I am amazed at how brilliant he is in any role. But his roles are complex, epochal. His Henry is a real king, imperious and crazy, his Dracula is the most sexually bloodthirsty, his Elvis is a real star. He became so used to the role that now, having received the mention of the legend of rock and roll, I imagine him in the image of Reese Myers.
2. I remember the actress who played the secondary role of Elvis’ girlfriend, a red-haired beast. I liked her. Much more than the Madonna of Priscilla.
3. All the other actors for me personally “on one face”. Scylla was given the main female role, but she showed her character with such a gray mouse that you wonder what the genius found and fell in love with her? Dad, Mom, it's a little bit too.
4. Colonel, throughout the film, I became increasingly antipathetic to him. Apparently, the actor masterfully coped with the role.
But in general, in my opinion, the whole film rests only and spontaneously on the game and charisma of Myers.
As for Elvis himself... I wonder what his career, his life, would have been like otherwise? If it wasn’t seen as a business, as a source of income. Everyone from the colonel to his father treated him as a source of income, friends parasitized him, his father constantly reproached, and sometimes the only joy for him was the opportunity to give joy to strangers.
Elvis wanted to sing what his heart reached for, wanted to be loved and sought after... wanted to be a star.
Being very kind at heart and somehow childishly unsophisticated and naive, he did not notice how cruelly he was used by others, success blinded him, and failures plunged him into depression, the way out of which he sought in pills, which became the beginning of the end of the great musician.
I advise everyone to watch this film for the great music, the delightful performance of Reese Myers and just to remember about King Elvis.
I have to admit that I decided to watch Elvis. Early years" not so much because of the admiration Elvis Presley (with whose work was familiar rather superficially), but because of his love for Jonathan Reese Myers.
I think everyone understands the responsibility that falls on the shoulders of an actor who decided to embody the image of the King of Rock and Roll! And, damn it, Jonathan didn’t disappoint me, but he did a great job! I imagine what a huge job it took him to do to be so much like Elvis, so organically get into his stage image. Just after watching the movie Elvis. Early years, I rushed to review the recordings of Presley’s performance. And what do you think — these signature movements, this raised corner of the upper lip, these views — all this performed by Reese Myers was absolutely royal!
What else I liked - at some angles, the actor was very similar to Elvis himself, the only thing Jonathan lacked, but it is no longer his fault - height, because Elvis' long thin legs danced so unique that you simply do not notice anyone else on the stage.
The story of an unknown young romantic musician who dreams of playing in serious films will not leave you indifferent: his ups, downs, love, health problems, emotional experiences, harmful addictions and such laudable fidelity to his own word... Some people think that there, behind closed doors, the stars lead an idle life, but the film Elvis. The early years clearly show us all the vicissitudes of show business, so before you dream of fame, ask yourself – do you have enough strength of character?
Organism of this film above all praise: organic musical numbers, organic actors, organic dialogues.
A few words about Jonathan: it is obvious that the Golden Globe is deserved by him.
Separately, I will note the camera work, because the film is very interesting, the scenes are shown from unexpected and angles, making the viewing even more pleasant .
The result: I decided to get more closely acquainted with the work of Elvis, imbued with his difficult and sad fate, once again convinced of the talent of one of his favorite actors – Jonathan Reese Myers.
To all those who love rock and roll or just good music is dedicated and highly recommended to watch!
9 out of 10
Elvis. Early Years is the second Elvis movie I’ve seen. I really liked how interesting and truthful was told the story of the formation of an ordinary teenager Elvis Presley in the king of rock and roll.
Jonathan Reese Meyers as Elvis is incredible, he really looks a lot like him. He is beautiful, stately, emotional, in general, certainly similar to Presley. The whole storyline associated with his family, especially with his mother, is touching to tears, his love and very heavy loss make us empathize with the main character, we unconditionally believe his tears and words. Also Jonathan Reese Meyers very truthfully shows us how Elvis changes from excessive use of all kinds of pills, how he becomes aggressive, angry, unable to control his emotions and actions.
I was very impressed by the game Kamrin Menheim, who played the role of Elvis’ mother, she was able to convey all the feelings that a mother feels towards her son: in her eyes we see care, faith in Elvis’ success, fear and pain.
But as for Antonia Bernadette, Priscilla, I can say that I am very disappointed. If you compare her with Susan Walters, who played Scylla in Elvis and I, Bernadette, in my opinion, loses to Walters. Bernadette couldn’t give us Priscilla beautifully, couldn’t decorate her, and, alas, she doesn’t look like her at all. Look at Walters in the same role: she's delightful, looking at her, believing every word she says. I don’t know what exactly Bernadette lacked: acting, “light” in the eyes or anything else, but looking at her, I understand: “Alas, not that.”
In general, of course, the film is worthy of attention, because it shows us the liveliest period in the life of the king of rock and roll, shows his creative successes and failures, and despite the outstanding performance of Myers, who undoubtedly got used to the role of Elvis, in this film I lacked the development of the plot associated with the personal drama of the singer.
7 out of 10