 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Though I haven't run a gauntlet of research, I have yet to find a biography of Elvis Presley that would be as intriguing as "I Was There When It Happened" or "Firestorm." This TV mini series (hence, the title) may be teh closest thing that I find. Sanctioned by the Elvis Foundation and featuring some Elvis footage, as well as recorded performances, this is a pretty true to life tale.
This follows Elvis (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) from his high school days, slicked up like a greaser with a guitar strapped to his back, to his '68 Comeback (which was supposed to be a Christmas) Special, and gives a vivid view of most aspects of his life, whether they be good or bad. Everything is told in an honest sense, showing both the positive and negative sides of his personality. You can see his first meetings and recordings with Sam Phillips (Tim Guinee) to his first performance and tours to him being completely controlled by the "Colonel" Tom Parker (Randy Quaid), to his rise to the biggest star in the world.
Elvis is painted as someone who puts his mama (Camryn Manheim) before anyone else. Everything he does, for the most part, seems to be with her best interest in mind. He completely falls apart after she dies, and you can see a difference in his personality after she goes. She is a sort of voice of reason, though not as much as his father (Robert Patrick, who seems to enjoy playing the part of musicians' fathers). All of the characters in here are flawed, and this film does a good job of showing that while not passing judgement on anyone.
The DVD extras on here are a few deleted scenes, which is kind of a letdown, as I was hoping for commentaries and some extra insights into Elvis' life. The one cool deleted scene has some jocks picking on Elvis at school for being different and carrying a guitar, jokingly asking him to sing for them and then breaking a string when he doesn't, before a (new) friend of Elvis puts a stop to it.
All of the acting is supurb, and the only awkward parts are when Meyers lip synchs, which doesn't look at all natural (they work around this at times). This is a great historical (mostly) look at the King of Rock and Roll, giving insights into Elvis, his psyche, and all of those close to him.
Written by: RF