Priscilla (2023)
2023
R
110 Minutes
When teenage Priscilla Beaulieu meets Elvis Presley at a party, the man who is already a meteoric rock-and-roll superstar becomes someone entirely unexpected in private moments: a thrilling crush,...
User Review
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WHAT I LIKED: Whether their subjects are real or imaginary, the most engaging character stories expose a person for you to empathise with, and give them an arc to test them into some kind of change. Sofia Coppola's 'Priscilla,' does both of those things, as it follows a young woman entering into an abusive relationship and then eventually finding her feet as an independent woman and inevitably making her way out.
Of course, there's an extra layer of dazzle and attraction which makes this particular relationship that much harder to leave, as the man in question is Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi). He first requests Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny)'s presence when she's a child, and after meeting him she's immediately obsessed. But by the time he ships her over to Graceland, it's become clear to us that he just wants her as his pretty girl on the side waiting at home whilst he goes off sleeping around and having fun across the world. As she mopes around the house and dotes on a distracted Elvis during his flying return visits, you spend the majority of the film longing for her to stand up to him and find a voice.
When she does it's rather liberating, but until then Spaeny does a great job of portraying the boredom, lost longing and attraction, and Elordi also does a great job of building a character who's dazzling enough to keep Priscilla doting as long as she does.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Once the relationship has been established, it is a rather repetitive film, as a lot of time is spent watching Priscilla put up with increasing contempt from Elvis whilst we patiently wait for her to find the guts to leave him.
VERDICT: Sofia Coppola's 'Priscilla,' is a by-the-book character study brought to life by great performances, but it does get rather repetitive after a while.0 member like this review.
