“Priscilla,” directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Cailee Spaeny, hits theaters this Thursday the 4th; The film will soon be available on MUBI
Directed by a woman and centered on someone else's story. Priscilla It's not a film about feminism. The feature film by Sofia Coppola based on the book Elvis and me (1985), signed by Priscilla Presleyis constructed without sacrificing the basic steps of the hero's journey, but it doesn't seem to convey a message.
Although Priscilla It is Elvis Although they were born in the United States, their lives intersected in West Germany, where the already wellknown rock star served in the military. The then 14yearold girl's gray days were warmed by the big parties Elvis took place in his own home.
“Priscilla” (Photo: Disclosure/MUBI)
The natural course of the trajectory of Priscilla was interrupted when a man 10 years her senior said something to her like “You're very mature for your age.” It's not uncommon for teenagers to hit on men who are looking for a woman they can call “Mommy.” In case of Priscilla, the fact that she was chosen by someone of the social caliber Elvis For her, it was incentive enough to remain in love and loneliness for years until the artist invited her to move to Graceland.
“Priscilla” (Photo: Disclosure/MUBI)
The girl's mother, Anna Lillian Iversenhe hesitated and even asked what an adult likes Elvis wanted with her daughter, considering that the musician's success could lead many women of the same age into his arms. I was afraid to watch Priscilla become rebellious and abruptly break ties with the family to which they belong ElvisHer mother and stepfather let her go. Perhaps, Annaperformed by the Incredible Dagmara Dominczykhe thought there couldn't be a happier ending for his daughter.
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In Memphis, Priscilla She had a double life: in the morning she went to school, in the afternoon she returned to her famous boyfriend's villa and escaped the predatory glare of the paparazzi. Female competition and feelings of inferiority are just some of the reasons that lead women to devote themselves to the man they are in love with. ElvisHowever, he didn't have much of a bond with his girlfriend as he constantly cheated on her.
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“Priscilla” (Photo: Disclosure/MUBI)
After high school graduation, Priscilla I no longer saw any obstacles that could prevent her from finally being a grown woman. The transition was accompanied by a change in the young woman's appearance, as she darkened her hair, heavily lined her eyes and shied away from hairspray to maintain a hairstyle typical of the 1960s. She thought she was doing it for herself, but in fact his personality and appearance were shaped that way Elviswho paid for everything.
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At the beginning of the relationship, the musician isolated his girlfriend. At one point he gives her the medicine he uses to help her sleep and she remains unconscious for days. The scene subtly shows how the rock star maintained his drug addiction.
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During the period in which Elvis When we leave the house to play shows, we don't get on the bus with the King of Rock, his team and his friends the viewer is left only with the silence that surrounds him Priscilla. Although she thought about looking for a job, her boyfriend stopped her.
“Priscilla” (Photo: Disclosure/MUBI)
No friends or relatives, just the dog, Priscilla delved further into the failed romance with Elvis, which culminated in marriage. However, the union document was no greater obstacle than the fear of finding out who she was alone. He suffers various types of violence and rejection from the love of his life, Priscilla She did what few women can do: abandon her attacker.
“Priscilla” (Photo: Philippe Le Sourd/Disclosure/MUBI) “Priscilla” (Photo: Disclosure/MUBI)
“Maybe in a different time, maybe in a different place,” he admits Elvis at one point in the film. The intention of Sofia Coppolaas the director herself explained in a conversation with Richard Curtis, At the BFI Southbankit couldn't be depicted Elvis as a villain. Current interviews with Priscilla Presley They also show that she has no intention of damaging her exhusband's legacy.
Cailee Spaeny shone in his performance as Priscilla. The paper is as different from previous works as in Before the end (2021) that we recognize her as the character she plays, almost literally incarnated. Jacob ElordiHe has also shown his versatility in his acting career as he managed to act within a few weeks ElvisIn PriscillaIt is Felix CattonIn Salt burn.
Sofia CoppolaHere too, the depiction of a woman was surgical. She herself is constantly connected to her father's work, Francis Ford Coppolaand maintains a relationship with someone who also experiences the rigors of fame, Thomas MarsLead singer of the band Phoenix.
Like this Encounters and mismatches (2003), for example, it is as if Priscilla ended suddenly, with no moral to the story or defined ending. That's exactly the fingerprint he left behind Sofia That's what makes your film so present Elvis Presley better than the one full of utensils Elvis (2022), directed Baz Luhrmann.
Jacob Elordi, Cailee Spaeny and Sofia Coppola on the set of “Priscilla” (Photo: Disclosure/MUBI)
Priscilla hit theaters this Thursday the 4th and will soon be available on MUBI.