ELVIS Movie is Massive Missed Opportunities

ELVIS (2022) the biopic picture was massively disappointing for many reasons.  Directed by Baz Luhrmann, known for sumptuous classics such as "Gatsby" and "Romeo and Juliet" succeeded in creating another cinematographic marvel.  Perhaps Luhrmann lacked a literary classic to fall back-on to bring luster to Elvis' life story. The film failed to generate any emotional authenticity or heat for the larger than life rock legend whose talents transcends generations.  The film follows Elvis from a child literally moved by Gospel music to his days as a young performer drawn to the blues and black artists.  Much of Elvis' radical style and sound appear appropriated from black artists, particularly during the Jim Crow era. Raised in the south, Elvis never seemed to question segregated venues or crowds at his performances, but any constraint to his physicality on stage was sacrasanct.  His friendships with black artists in the 50s felt forgettable and the failure to explore this was regrettable.  The admiration of black musicians never led to  infiltrating his band or inner circle.  Elvis' limited inner circle focused far too much on Colonel Tom Parker (a repugnant looking and sounding Tom Hanks). The Colonel's Svengali influence over Elvis for so long was never flushed out.  Hank's role as Elvis' unctous manager was a major distraction.  The Colonel's sleazy, self-serving business dealings, motivations and narration made Elvis into a sniveling, secondary character.  Nothing revelatory was learned about his relationship with Priscilla (Olivia De Jong) or Elvis' dependence on pills and booze other than Priscilla was more phased by his drug induced fog at home than his infidelities on the road.  Luhrmann's ambitious, 3 1/2 hour film, was a montage of the many musical incarnations of Elvis over the years.   Austin Butler stars as Elvis and did an admirable job portraying Elvis' performances.   However, the movie only gyrated any intensity during the musical numbers; particularly during his Vegas reign.  The rest of the film felt either numb or dumb.  The Colonel helps a naive young Elvis exit the hall of mirror through a side door and onto the ferris wheel.  The two remain adrift until Elvis falls prey to the Colonel's plan punctuated with fireworks.  Elvis mother's battle with booze lands her crashing on the stairs and Elvis slobbering in her closet.  The final, mournful farewell, "I will always love you" mouthed to Priscilla was blasé.  I left the building feeling the movie on the King could be forgotten.