Priscilla movie review

PHOTO: Scenes from the new movie: Priscilla

By Sofia Alvarado

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

5/5

Rating: R [For drug use and some language] 

Genre: Drama/romance

Sofia Coppola has been one of my favorite directors since I was 13 years old. Her cinematography and the way it captures the essence of emotions in a specific scene can speak louder than words. “The Virgin Suicides” and “Marie Antoinette” are just some of her cult-classics that embody that.

 Elvis and Priscilla Presley are classic American icons, and seeing Coppola take on this story was just a pleasure to watch. But don’t confuse this movie as a competitor for the “Elvis” (2022) movie directed by Baz Luhrman, because this time it’s Priscilla’s story. 

The film fit right in with her other works as well like, “Lost in Translation,” “The Virgin Suicides,” “Marie Antoinette,” etc. These films all have one thing in common and the one thing Coppola does best which is seeing their story through the female perspective. 

In an interview with NPR, Coppola talked about what it felt like as a director being able to convey the teenage girl experience, “I rarely saw teenage girls depicted in a way that I felt was relatable and kind of true to that experience for me,” she says. “I always like stories about transformation.” 

I think it’s widely known that Elvis and Priscilla have this big age gap, so watchers might think how, as a teenage girl, some could relate to Priscilla. 

When one of the side characters pops up to Priscilla and says “Do you like Elvis?” she responds “Of course, who doesn’t?” 

Coppola conveyed perfectly how Priscilla felt for him at the age of 14 when she first met him at a house party. For Priscilla it was meeting a celebrity that quickly turned into a crush. Having that starstruck reaction just like any other teenage girl would have today if they saw their celebrity crush. 

Down to the wardrobe, makeup, and hair it was so easy to tell Priscilla’s age and her naivety at the time. Even with the music, which brings me into my second topic. Coppola did an amazing job with the playlist. 

Although, Elvis Presley Enterprises team did not give her any of the rights to any of his songs and she still outdid herself. Featuring classic bands and singers like The Ramones, Tommy and the Shondells, Dolly Parton, Brenda Lee, etc. 

These songs really captured in scenes of what Priscilla is going through, using more popular songs to convey when she was a young teenager, and once she’s older and driving through the gates of Graceland you hear Dolly Partons’ “I Will Always Love You” showing the transformation Priscilla went through and how she’s moving on. 

The story of Priscilla was one of transformation and growing up. She was just 17 when she moved to Graceland, and I think the movie perfectly conveys her taking her own stance against Elvis. She was able to separate herself from the Elvis persona and discover herself as a person. 

I thought that the final scene of the film was bittersweet when she was leaving Graceland. And I don’t think any other director could’ve done Priscilla Presley’s story better than Sofia Coppola.