7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
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, an ally in loneliness, a gentle best friend. Through Priscilla's eyes, Sofia Coppola tells the unseen side of a great American myth in Elvis and Priscilla's long courtship and turbulent marriage, from a German army base to his dream-world estate at Graceland, in this deeply felt and ravishingly detailed portrait of love, fantasy, and fame.
Starring: Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi, Dagmara Dominczyk, Ari Cohen, Tim PostDrama | 100% |
Biography | 20% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
2022's Elvis offered a flashy and arguably even glitzy take on the King of Rock and Roll, courtesy of Baz Luhrmann's typically hyperkinetic approach. A more thoughtful if perhaps slightly distanced feeling Sofia Coppola tackles the King courtesy of his "Queen" in Priscilla, but in this instance Coppola (who also adapted Priscilla Presley's memoir Elvis and Me in addition to directing) is less interested in profiling an icon for iconography's sake, or even "ripping the scab off" of perceptions of a legendary character (though she does do that), than with offering a portrait of a woman (actually, 14 year old girl to start off) who due to the vagaries of fate finds herself virtually ensnared in an environment which, while admittedly undeniably luxurious, is still something of a prison. While Luhrmann's film might be considered yet another model of his particular form of excess, Coppola's film is almost deliberately quiet, devoid of any big "Elvis moments" save for a few allusions to his performing world, and is instead an intimate dissection of a courtship and marriage that have entered the annals of American Legend, but which is still perhaps less than fully understood by many. Coppola's film may admittedly not completely clarify Priscilla's story, but it's often quite interesting, bolstered by some great performances and some luscious cinematography and production design.
Priscilla is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films and A24 with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. While there's some relatively brief "home video" footage that Coppola and DP Philippe Le Sourd shot on 16mm, the bulk of this enterprise was captured with Arri Alexa 35 cameras and according to the IMDb had a 4K DI. There is quite a bit of rather fascinating material available online about this shoot and Le Sourd's approach, as well as the budgetary reasons Coppola chose to go digital for the first time, including here, here, and here, for any readers who may share by geeky interest in technical aspects. The look of this high definition presentation is often incredibly sumptuous, though it's kind of interesting to note that (as at least alluded to in some of the links offered above), the palette may not "pop" in a florid sense, but it's still unbelievably evocative. There's a kind of blush like pastel ambience to quite a bit of the film, perhaps drawing an ironic counterpart to the subtext that all is in fact not rosy in Priscilla's world. Detail levels are typically excellent throughout. There are a few low light scenes where shadow detail isn't optimal and fine detail levels ebb noticeably.
Priscilla features a subtle but effectively immersive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. While there were probably salient reasons other than budget, this quickly shot and modestly funded production may have chosen not to license any actual Elvis music for the production to save a buck or two. The music that is here is quite interesting and offers some of the most noticeable engagement of the side and rear channels. A couple of relatively raucous sequences at things like parties or just get togethers can also feature background clamor populating the surround channels. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.
While there are a few tidbits offered along the way that some casual Elvis fans may find unexpected, this is still kind of a surprisingly conventional look at a very unconventional couple. If the screenplay is perhaps unavoidably repetitive and frequently leaves Priscilla little to do other than be depressed, the performances are compelling and both the production design and cinematography are superb, especially considering this film was shot very quickly and without a ton of money. Technical merits are solid, and with caveats noted, Priscilla comes Recommended.
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