#Priscilla review

[spryfilm]

Film review: “Priscilla” (2023)

[ohyoubringmejoy]

Priscilla (2023): REVIEW | Danixinhahhh

[cokedup112]

she is me i am her

I am trapped in my own brain

will i ever leave ??

[doll-elvis]

PRISCILLA 2023: the press conference and incoming reviews

today was my day off of work so naturally I stayed up until 5:15 am (pacific standard time thingz) to watch the press conference, and to read some of the incoming reviews for the film 😩

here are the most interesting notes from the press conference (it was extremely brief) and the reviews that I found the most interesting ⬇️

✭ the key moment in the press conference was most definitely Priscilla getting asked a question despite her not being on the panel but in the audience. She was asked how she felt about her life being represented on film and what touched her most about the movie… she gave the best answer of the conference imo

- she became emotional nearly right away and had to take a moment to wipe her tears for which she apologized

- at first she simply said “the ending”, referring to what touched her most about the film. Based on that, and another question, I’m assuming the film ends with Priscilla leaving Elvis

-there were a few questions which shed Elvis in a bad light and so Priscilla referenced one of the journalists and began defending Elvis: she said that her parents had no idea why Elvis was so drawn to her and wanted to be with her, but she states that she was someone that Elvis could completely pour his heart out into (she references the loss of Gladys, his fears, and his frustration with his career)

-As she says it, she was there to listen and to comfort him, she said that is what drew Elvis to her. She states she was mature for her age “older in life but not in numbers”. She also says that in the beginning of the relationship, when she was 14, the relationship was not about sex and that he always respected her

“People think, ‘Oh, it was sex.’ No, it wasn’t. I never had sex with him. He was very kind, very soft, very loving, but he also respected the fact I was only 14 years old”

-she talked about how she didn’t know why Elvis had put so much trust into her but she realized it was because she never gave him up. She never told anyone at school she was seeing him etc. etc

-to end her statement she says that Elvis was the love of her life, and that she didn’t leave him because she didn’t love him, she left because she couldn’t handle the lifestyle

some other key notes-

- the very first question by a journalist referenced physical and mental abuse that is shown in the film

-Jacob Elordi seriously surprised me (in the best way) with his very first answer: he was asked about Elvis telling Priscilla “maybe another time, maybe another place” and how he related to that. He first talked about how Priscilla’s book was the main source for him, and how he came to understand the scale of their love (between Elvis and Priscilla) and the power of it. He said it’s “true”, “undying”, and “it’s beautiful”. He finished by saying that Elvis and Priscilla will be tethered for eternity because of their love

(I honestly didn’t expect such an insightful answer from him lmaoo 🤧)

- Sofia talked about how it was really important for this film to only be the from the perspective of Priscilla, and she says that one of the reasons she loves film is because you can experience someone else’s story

- One journalist asked Sofia if she learned anything new about Elvis from talking with Priscilla and she says that Priscilla told her about how when they would go to movies together in Germany, Elvis would always mouth the words to film… that is how badly he wanted to be a serious actor

- Jacob was asked if he drew any inspiration from the 2022 “Elvis” and he said “no.”, and that Sofia helped him tackle his fears in portraying someone as big as Elvis

- When asked about why Jacob was casted as Elvis, Sofia said that she felt that he had the same charisma as Elvis but most importantly he could play the sensitive and vulnerable side to Elvis

There were a few other technical questions about the film’s palette and music but the press conference ended super quickly, it was a bit awkward to watch and the lead actress, Cailee Spaeny, was naturally very nervous 😭

Overall, reviews have been mixed. Some are saying it’s Coppola’s best work. Some are saying it lacks any depth. And many have had not good things to say about Elvis which makes me anxious for what kind of content is shown in the movie

Here are some of the newest reviews for the film, courtesy of letterboxd ⬇️:

“it avoids giving any sort of context to why Elvis was acting the way he was” is the most worrisome line out of all of these to me… elvis is quite possibly the most context needing person ever

it’s a lot to digest at once, what do y’all think about everything?

[devilsflowerr]

My honest, and slightly brutal review of the ‘Priscilla’ movie.

So, i did find this movie online just because it isn’t out in my country until mid january. (not like i was gonna pay for it anyway.) This is my opinion, as everyone else has one. Spoiler warning maybe?

Now, it is important to note that i tried to be completely unbiased watching this movie, to put away any feelings i had towards Priscilla or even Elvis for that matter… but…

There is something about this movie that throws me off. It almost feels incomplete in a way, like there are bits missing? and yes, i do understand that you can only fit so much into 1 hour and 50 odd minutes, but why am i still watching them before their wedding 1 hour and 20 minutes into the film as if from the wedding onwards didn’t matter? It kind of feels like the movie should’ve ended there, but it didn’t. it just keep dragging on into an unbearable and boring ending. I’m sure that if someone hadn’t read into what really happened in the events leading up to their divorce, they would be confused. Tell us what happened instead of being under the assumption that everyone knows.

To me, i find that some scenes that happened in this movie are quite comparable to Baz Lurhmann’s ‘Elvis.’ And yes, im not an idiot, i know it’s her ‘story’ of what happened, but it was poorly executed and anticlimactic. It seems to me that this movie goes at a snails pace compared to Lurhmann’s. ‘Priscilla’ did nothing for me to keep me intrigued.

What also has really rubbed me the wrong way about this movie, is the fact that this portrayal really paints Priscilla as the angel. There is barely anything in this movie, compared to her book, that shows her in a bad light. Her book, whether fact or fiction, has that human side to her, shows her flaws, whereas this movie, she is deemed as flawless, and instead giving all of the flaws to Elvis.

Yes, we all know Elvis wasn’t the perfect man, or even flawless, but it is evident in this movie that he is the villain. Throwing chairs, drug use, cheating etc. Yet, these are still things we see in this day and age, why must we think that’s really abnormal and villainize it just because it’s Elvis Presley?

I also wanna add, i feel like this movie was made incredibly cheap and quick, the whole movie feels like a school project and a bad coming of age movie that cable tv plays during the day to pass time, there’s a certain tackiness to it. It’s an okay movie, if it was completely fiction and written about two completely fictional characters and didn’t drag someone’s legacy in the mud.

There is so much about this movie to talk about but it makes me angry so i’ll stop here.

All in all, would i pay to watch it? absolutely not. Save your money.

4/10 and that’s being generous. it gave… absolutely nothing.

[savesappho]

Not/Coming Out (2024)

This charity anthology is a diverse look at queer existence in the best way possible. And--better yet--all these diverse representations of queer identities are in one place!

Edited by Kenzie Millar, Amanda Shortman, Dewi Hargreaves, and Lou Willingham Content Warnings: coming out, homophobia, transphobia. Specific content warnings are listed at the start of each piece! Genre: Short fiction & poetry It’s true that coming out doesn’t just happen it is a constant process that is different for everyone.This celebration of diverse voices from across the LGBTQ+…

[gotholsentwin]

one of my wishlist fragrances 🍰 - annabel’s birthday cake by marissa zappas

[gloombeauty]

I watched the film Priscilla last night.

I mainly watched it because Sofia Coppola directed it. I honestly have no interest in Priscilla Beaulieu or her bastardizing the Presley name. Goodness knows she's been using the Presley name for 47 years. What she seems to forget is that we know she and Elvis were divorced and he was engaged to another woman at the time of his death.

With that in mind, I knew there was going to be some pretty colors and cool aesthetics throughout the movie. I've been a fan of Sophia's since the 90's. I love her films in general.

Having watched Priscilla, I now know why Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie hated this movie. She made it be known just how much she hated it right up to her death last year. Not even Lisa's daughter Riley attended the premiere to support this movie. That alone is very telling.

Adding on, Lana Del Rey didn't give this film a song of hers despite having over 1,000 songs still in her vault. If there was ever a person to write a perfect theme song for Priscilla, it would be Lana.

Lana literally blew Sofia Coppola off with an I'm too busy excuse. Tell me you want nothing to do with a movie, without telling me you want nothing to do with a movie.

The movie was pretty boring and awful. The storyline is hogwash. It was 'pretty', I give it that. That's the magic of Sofia Coppola.

Do yourself a favor and read Child Bride by Suzanne Finstad. You will get to read the real story behind Priscilla and Elvis that they never show in any of these films.

Elvis comes across really bad. I'm not saying he was perfect. God knows he had issues, like messing around with a 14 year old girl - but this movie wasn't it.

If you seen the 1988 version of Priscilla, it is basically the same as this movie. Even some scene had the same dialogue. If you haven't seen it, here you go -

There's nothing more to really add.

I can't believe Sofia actually wasted her talents on this boring story that's was already told in books and in a 1988 TV movie. Had she told the story using Suzanne's Finstad book instead of Priscilla's, this film would have been a little more accurate and a lot more interesting.

I give Priscilla 5/10.

[yourfuckiinangel]

just watched lost in translation for the first time. it was awesome.

[diaphony-haunting]

A book I devoured recently: Elvis and Me (book review)

This memoir was incredibly well written and gave amazing insight into the world of super celebrities as big as the phenomenon that was Elvis Presley.

It’s clear from the beginning that Priscilla was groomed by Elvis although I don’t think she or the ghostwriter really frame it that way. I was also disappointed by how Elvis-centric this book is, I know he’s in the title but it’s sad to see how much Priscilla’s life revolved around him, to the point of titling her memoir in his name. I want to hear about Priscilla Beaulieu Presley’s life, her struggles with fame, “sharing” Elvis with the public eye, what it’s like to be THE rockstar girlfriend. She is such an icon I was sad to see so much time dedicated to him.

Otherwise, the book was great and 100% recommend if you’ve seen the movie or plan to.

[radishprincesss]

my top 10 of 2023 <3

add me on letterboxd:

[capncarrot]

November movie review

[kevrocksicehouse]

Priscilla.

D: Sofia Coppola (2023).

Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla tells the story of a 14-year-old girl (Cailee Spaeny) who meets the most famous man in America while he’s serving in the army, how he dates her, drops her and then whisks her off to Graceland after she turns 17 where he takes charge of her while waiting for her to reach the age of consent after which they can be wed. It’s a profoundly creepy tale, worthy of Du Maurier and Coppola catches the eerie echoes of a girl living in a mansion that in brief patches is full of the life of a superstar and his entourage enacting the star’s narcissistic adolescent fantasies (while being kept at arms-length by a “Memphis Mafia” as insular and exclusionary as the real thing) and when the star is absent (working on a far-off career), is a well-kept mausoleum. The director keeps us at a distance from this groomer – we never hear any of his songs and his manipulative seduction of her is the only relationship we see him have with anyone, although there’s a strong suggestion that he’s being handled and exploited himself (a scene where he’s presented as a Michael Corleone figure, only to get shut down by a call from the REAL Godfather, is dripping with irony) which leaves us, for great chunks of time with the imprisoned princess waiting for her to figure out her best bet is to walk out with her daughter (conceived in mysterious ways although there is a strong suggestion that sex is involved). In real life the princess returned after the King died and took control of the Kingdom as well as the story, greenlighting the narrative we see before us (which was adapted from her annals), but revealing this in the film would ruin the enchanted tale she weaves so she merely says Goodbye to All That and drives away sadder and wiser into a blissful future.

In other words, I’d like this movie a lot better if I didn’t give a shit about Elvis Presley.

[the-ugly-swan]

ꗃꓸ 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗔 ! ⋆ ⌧ ꓸ 𝗋𝖾𝗏𝗂𝖾𝗐. !

➤ 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁: Since I have Priscilla Presley as a faceclaim in my story about ❝The Beatles❞, it occurred to me to watch the movie based on her. I am aware of the enormous controversy it has generated, and don't worry I have informed myself as much as I can, so I will evaluate the film not as a biopic but as a regular drama film. I want this blog to be free of controversies and I want everyone to feel free to share their thoughts and opinions. PS: Cailee looks very pretty in that poster.

➤ 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀: I have to admit that I have never been a fan of Sofia Coppola either as an artist or as a person. However, one of the things I have always admired about her is her good eye for aesthetics and visuals. One of the things in which ❝Priscilla❞ stands out is in the visual section. While the locations don't look quite right due to the low budget, I think they did a good job with what they had on hand.

Although the lighting was not completely to my liking, I understand its reason and purpose. The setting is supposed to be cold and somewhat gloomy...so I understand the reason for this choice. The soundtrack seemed decent to me and I think that although it accompanied the setting more or less well, it didn't seem like anything special to me. In conclusion, the visuals were the most redeeming part of the movie.

➤ 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: If I'm honest, one of the things that bothered me the most about the movie was the lack of realism of the characters. I’m not going to count them as real people but as fictional characters, again to avoid controversy.

One of the most important points when creating and writing a character is to make sure it is as human as possible. In other words, we must ensure that it is morally gray. It should be neither completely good nor completely bad. Although as a society we tend to classify people as good or bad, absolutely no one is completely good and absolutely no one is completely bad.

The big problem with the characters in ❝Priscilla❞ is that they were all painted and presented with black or white morals. In other words, they are either the incarnation of a saint or they are the incarnation of satan himself. And that is too far from reality, especially for a film that aims to be as realistic as possible. No character, whether hero or villain, should be painted with a black or white morality. They should always be painted with the grayest morality possible.

The central point of the film is supposed to be that we see Priscilla as a victim, that we feel Priscilla as a close person and that we empathize with her situation. However, it’s impossible to empathize with a character without humanity. It's not wrong that they paint her as a sweet and innocent girl, what's wrong is that we never see her grow and evolve, we never see her fail or make mistakes, we never see her humanity. We barely get to know her in her own movie and it’s even worse with the side characters. We never get to actually meet them or get to know their stories and personalities.

And this seems even more serious to me if we take into account one of the genres of this film, which despite being a biographical film is also a drama. And what a dramatic film seeks is precisely to generate emotions such as empathy, emotional investment, so that the viewer feels very attached to the characters. Which is impossible in this case due to the poor writing and character development.

➤ 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗲: I will be brief with this section. I will not compare the costumes in the movie with those in real life since I said that I was not going to classify it as a biopic. If I'm honest, the costumes look extremely cheap. I'm more than aware of the low budget, but the main characters are supposed to be the supreme monarchs of glamour and the costumes unfortunately do not reflect that.

➤ 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: Regarding the casting, I will not compare the appearance of the actors with those of real people due to the point of this review. Therefore, I will limit myself to rating the actors according to their acting quality.

In terms of the actors, the only one I knew before seeing the movie was Jacob Elordi, the interpreter of Elvis, so I can't speak about the acting qualities of the other actors outside of ❝Priscilla❞. So far the best acting work I know of Jacob Elordi has been his portrayal of Nate Jacobs in the show ❝Euphoria❞. However, although I do feel that he is a good actor, his acting range does leave a lot to be desired. His portrayal of Elvis feels like Nate Jacobs himself with a different name. And unfortunately the terrible writing and lack of realism and humanity doesn't help matters either.

Now moving on to Cailee Spaeny's performance, I honestly think her performance stole the entire movie. While the script dehumanized the characters too much, Cailee made the character of Priscilla feel warm and personal at times. I feel like she handled the psychology and emotions of the character quite well. I genuinely feel that she has potential as an actress and I would love to see her with a better director, a better story, a better script…I think she could do an excellent job at a better film.

➤ 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: Now, this will be a pretty strong and honest criticism...mostly because ironically what people praise the most is in my opinion the worst thing about the movie.

Something I noticed about the movie that I haven't seen many pointing out is the immense feminist propaganda both in the marketing and in the movie itself. I am more than aware of Sofia Coppola's extreme feminist agenda, however...as I always like to say: ❝a story with a little bit of speech is not the same as a speech with a little bit of story❞. Nothing against the feminist movement, I would just like for it to be portrayed and used correctly. Similar to what I mentioned with the lack of gray areas in the characters, the script lacked transparency and coherence.

The purpose of the script is never entirely clear. Sometimes it feels like it's simply trying to tell a story and other times it feels like it's manipulating the viewer and making them doubt their own judgment. Which is pretty bad for quite a few reasons. Starting with the fact that a script should always be as transparent and neutral as possible even if one of the purposes is to give a moral. However, it is one thing to try to give a moral and quite another to impose it by force and that is what ❝Priscilla's❞ script does in some parts.

I’m a believer that the purpose and intentions of cinema should never be to educate the viewer but simply to entertain them. The only audiovisuals that should have the intention of informing are documentaries. It's pretty cool for a regular movie to try to give a moral, but a forcefully given message is not a moral...it's pure propaganda. In case some of you are not aware of the difference between publicity and propaganda...publicity sells you a product while propaganda sells you an idea.

The problem with ❝Priscilla's❞ script is not that it tries to give a message, even if it is full of politics, the problem is the way in which it does it. It doesn't do it in an organic or dynamic way, we have little to no context for the actions and intentions of the characters, we only see them act good or bad just because…and the director intends for us to like them or dislike them just for that…exactly, by force. If her intentions were to give a speech about the independence of a woman…she did an awful job. ‘Cause it doesn’t feel like female empowerment…it feels like bad presented propaganda.

Moving on to more technical aspects of the narrative...to be honest, it's been a while since I've come across such a poorly structured script. A messy, underdeveloped script wouldn't have bothered me as much if the movie was a parody or didn't take itself seriously, but that's not the case. More than a regular drama it feels like a collage, very poorly done, of random moments from Priscilla's life.

If the purpose of a film is to show the life of the main character, their evolution, and their growth as a person over the years, it is extremely important that the timeline is well done and structured. Another thing we must take into account is that ❝Priscilla❞, beyond being a drama, is also a character study. That is, a work in which the main focus is the life and development of the characters rather than the plot itself.

While there are all kinds of narrative structures and ways to tell a story...I still believe that for a character study a simple and conventional structure works best. The problem with ❝Priscilla's❞ narrative is that it literally lacks structure. In addition to having a fairly boring and very little balanced narrative, it is almost impossible to keep up with it due to its terrible structure.

➤ 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: There are several things that I did not mention since I did not want to extend the criticism so much. The only thing I can highlight about this production is part of the visual and acting section. However, none of that was enough to save the final product. ❝Priscilla❞ is a film that falls short in absolutely every aspect, especially in the narrative aspect. However, that is just my opinion and now I want to hear yours.

━ 𝔀𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝓵𝒐𝒗𝒆 ꓹ 𝓜𝒆𝒚 ʾ

[lxrdtati]

Rainbow High: Priscilla Perez

[delepiphane]

Sofia Coppola Archive 🦢