Cailee Spaeny stars as the title character in “Priscilla.” (Sabrina Lantos/A24 Films/TNS)
When it comes to conveying girlhood’s intrinsic glitz and gloom, Sofia Coppola is a seasoned player.
Coppola — the only daughter of renowned filmmakers Eleanor and Francis Ford Coppola — has been celebrated and criticized for her dreamlike approach to directing, as seen in deliciously delicate movies like “The Virgin Suicides” (1999) and “Marie Antoinette” (2006).
Coppola’s newest cinematic venture profiles yet another “royal” icon, only this time, retro Americana has effectively replaced rococo splendor. Grounded in Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir “Elvis and Me,” the film “Priscilla” sinks its teeth into ’60s femininity, slowly chewing on its many psychological trappings over the course of 113 minutes.
Viewed directly through the title character’s dolled-up eyes, “Priscilla” depicts the longtime relationship and eventual marriage of Priscilla and Elvis Presley. Perhaps the movie’s most striking aspect is just how much it allows audience members to squirm in discomfort.
When Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny) meets Elvis (Jacob Elordi) at a party in 1959, she is a mere ninth grader, living in West Germany due to her stepfather’s position in the United States Air Force. Elvis is 24 and serving in the U.S. Army, having been infamously drafted back in ’57.
“You’re just a baby,” Elordi says, a slight smirk playing on his lips.
“Thanks,” Spaeney replies, her soft-spoken indignation befitting of a teenage girl coming face-to-face with the so-called “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
Anyone who grimaced upon reading that dialogue can expect to feel similar dread throughout the entire “Priscilla” viewing experience. Coppola seems fully aware no amount of lavish shopping sprees or nostalgic bumper car dates can wash away the icky, sticky residue that accompanies such a pronounced age gap.
Much like Priscilla herself, filmgoers are left waiting for the other shoe to drop in a variety of situations. The thrill of first love is there but routinely mingles with a sinister sense of infatuation, especially when substance abuse and infidelity become additional parties in the couple’s private life.
In the modern social media landscape — which sees “real acting” compilations frequently prioritize explosive confrontations and hysterical outbursts — Spaeny’s subtle performance stands apart for all the right reasons. Even if Priscilla’s mouth is demurely shut, her eyes speak volumes.
Makeup designer Jo-Ann MacNeil took care to accentuate Spaeny’s eyes in every scene, illustrating any shifts in Priscilla’s identity during the process.
One of the movie’s highlights occurs when Priscilla rouses a languid Elvis from sleep, announcing she has entered into labor. As the men of Graceland — Elvis’ ostentatious Memphis mansion — fuzzily shout and clamor outside the bedroom door, Priscilla remains eerily calm at her vanity, applying her signature fake lashes with an unwavering hand before rushing to the hospital.
This shot reinforces the lonely mood that dominates not only “Priscilla” but also numerous other Coppola films. While living at Graceland, Priscilla drowns in excess and emptiness, aging alongside a man who never really stomped out his boyish tendencies.
Elordi, for his part, does exude an Elvis-like allure on screen. His impressive stature — Elordi clocks in at 6 feet, 5 inches, while Spaeny is roughly 5 feet tall — hammers home Priscilla and Elvis’ unbalanced power dynamic from the start.
The movie concludes with Priscilla voicing her want for a divorce, subsequently driving away from Graceland’s gilded grip to Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” Seeing as Parton denied Elvis a cover of the popular track, this song selection is much like Priscilla herself: unassumingly powerful.
As a whole, the sequence feels a touch too abrupt; if the camera had lingered on Spaeny’s indiscernible expression, a more satisfying ending might have been achieved. But “unsatisfying” does not necessarily equate to meaninglessness, at least in this context.
Complete with aesthetics that can make any viewer wistful for mod fashion or ice-cold lemonade, “Priscilla” is indeed a feast for viewers’ senses. Still, its ending leaves something to be desired.
Rating: 4/5
