arts•meme recommends
Leave it to filmmaker Sofia Coppola to make a woman’s story with a foil who is half moving target/half stick in the mud. That is Jacob Elordi playing the charmingly dumb, thick on the empathy, maddeningly faithful until he’s not, and meltingly sexy Elvis Presley, in the marvelous new bio-pic, PRISCILLA. Actress Cailee Spaeny gives a much-lauded performance as the child bride of The King, navigating the fine line of a woman who seems to have it all but who inexorably realizes how little she actually has. I loved the movie, with its extenuated scenes of the young couple lolling about in a honeymoon-style bed with breakfast trays placed discreetly outside the door. The stuff, the clothes, the cars, the hangers-on!
Watching this movie, I found myself grinning ear to ear (mostly at Elordi’s hilarious quirks as the King) so long I became aware of it. Then I glanced at the guy in the seat next to me and he was grinning as well. Pure pleasure at the movies. Ms. Coppola is so very talented.
Arts journalist Debra Levine blogs on dance and film and more on artsmeme.