Priscilla Movie Review: Cailee Spaeny's Star-Making Turn Empowers Sofia Coppola's Middling Biopic of Priscilla Presley (LatestLY Exclusive)

Priscilla Movie Review: I felt a sense of paradox watching Sofia Coppola's latest endeavour, Priscilla, merely a couple of weeks after Animal, the recent Bollywood blockbuster that has been criticised for its glorified depiction of toxic masculinity and marital abuse. Priscilla shows the other end of this spectrum - how it feels to be married to a man who wants to control every aspect of your life, yet be deeply enamoured with him to not understand the adversity of your situation. What makes the movie scarier is that the husband is no fictional violent criminal but a real-life legend who was adored by millions when he was alive. Priscilla: Elvis Presley Enterprises Didn't Allow Elvis Presley's Music to Be Used for Sofia Coppola's Biopic, Film to Rather Feature an 'Anachronistic' Soundtrack.

Priscilla also comes a few months after Baz Luhrmann's divisive biopic, Elvis, based, of course, on Elvis Presley, the legendary actor-singer and the husband of Priscilla Presley, the protagonist of Sofia's film. While Elvis doesn't delve too deeply into Presley's marital matters, focusing more on his contentious equation with his mentor Colonel Parker, Priscilla doesn't hold much back in stripping the rock-n-roll icon of his 'legend' armour and exposing him for his deeply problematic behaviour towards his young lover and later wife. That's quite a bold move, considering Presley is still revered by many in the States, and a few still believe he has faked his death (a theory even suggests he is living as a Lizard-man!).

Anyway, the movie begins with a 14-year-old Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny), sitting alone in a pub in Germany, where she is approached by an army officer who invites her to join him and his wife at Elvis's party (when he was enlisted in the military). I have so many questions about just this one scene. Who is this man, and what was he thinking about asking a 14-year-old teenager to a grown-up party? Is he creepy by himself, or was he tasked to do so by a 'friend,' considering how eager Elvis was to be in Priscilla's acquaintance and then take her to his room in the party scene? Priscilla, excited about the invitation and more so to meet Elvis, sensibly tells the man she needs her parents' approval, being the minor that she is.

Watch the Trailer of Priscilla:

Her folks (Dagmara Domińczyk and Ari Cohen) are hesitant about sending her to the party but later agree when this complete stranger somehow manages to convince them. This is an example of a major problem I have with the film. Priscilla becomes this showcase of moments in Priscilla Presley's troubled journey from being this naive, love-adorned teenager to being the disturbed partner of America's sweetheart. But it often never pauses itself to reel us in to think why some of those moments had to happen—like why the parents so easily send their minor daughter to grown-up parties, get her to date a man a decade older than her, and then even allow her to live in with him? I see them as equally problematic as Elvis, yet Priscilla isn't too interested in making them guilty as charged, and after one point, they aren't even relevant to the story.

Now you may ask, maybe that's designed, maybe the film would rather keep the spotlight on Elvis and Priscilla (even though as she is a minor, the parents' presence should be deemed important). In that aspect too, Priscilla felt more of a mixed bag. The movie is entirely shown (and rightfully so) through Priscilla's eyes where the visual texture is softer, reflecting her puppy love but at the same time, doesn't deny us of showing how downright disturbing the equation is. The way he grooms her, controls every aspect of her life, gets her addicted to pills and throws occasional violent (and childish) tantrums, while basically wanting her to be an exquisite showpiece at his home, is rendered with the creepiness these scenes deserve but without losing out on the texture. A particularly eerie scene was when Elvis takes Priscilla for wardrobe shopping with his entourage in tow, and the way those adult men raucously give their approval when this young girl comes out wearing selected dresses (by him) is simply unpleasant.

To Elvis' credit (perhaps in his mind), he defers their lovemaking to later even though they get intimate on many occasions, citing the 'right moment.' You can maybe notch it up as a point for him holding back respecting her age, but it is also made clear that he is also denying Priscilla of satiating her physical desires that he himself stoked. These moments are unsettling, but it does come at a cost of depriving us of elucidating the protagonist's inner turmoil. We see the pain, we see the hurt when she reads about her lover's affairs and see her scared when he turns violent, but the film, like Elvis, often renders her voiceless.

It also helps little that Priscilla suffers from inconsistent pacing. The first two acts move at a very relaxed, quite languorous tempo, but then the third act feels as if the makers realise they have too much to pack in and then rush through the moment. So when Priscilla decides she has had enough of her man, it felt a rather mundane moment, and before we could delve upon it, the credits start rolling. Priscilla Presley Reveals Why She Never Remarried After Elvis Presley: 'I Just Don't Think That He Could Handle That'.

What really captivated me about Priscilla is surely the star-making turn by Cailee Spaeny. She manages to beautifully emulate the mannerisms, the misguided emotions, and the frivolity of a teenage girl, even in those moments where she just remains a passive spectator. Jacob Elordi is excellent as Elvis and, despite the perturbing equation, shows great onscreen chemistry with Cailee. Also special mention for the costume design, and makeup and styling.

Final Thoughts

There is no denying that Priscilla courageously peels away the layers of a legendary figure, revealing the unsettling reality behind the 'legend.' Where the film falters is in tackling the subtext, such as the parents' questionable decisions and weak addressal of Priscilla's inner turmoil, and suffers from inconsistent pacing. When compared to the director's previous films, Priscilla certainly lands among her weakest works. That said, do watch out for a brilliant star-making performance by the young Cailee Spaeny and also a fine supporting turn from Jacob Elordi.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 15, 2023 11:35 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).