Priscilla is a well-made and thought-provoking biopic that offers a fresh perspective on the life of one of the most famous women in the world. Check out the details in my parents guide movie review.
Priscilla movie releases in theaters across the United States tomorrow, Friday, November 3, 2023. The new film, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival to much acclaim, is based on the memoir Elvis and Me, written by Priscilla Presley, adapted by writer, director, and executive producer Sofia Coppola, and told through Priscilla’s eyes. The cast of Priscilla and its biggest stars include Cailee Spaeny (as teenage Priscilla Beaulieu), Jacob Elordi (Elvis Presley), Ari Cohen (Captain Beaulieu), Dagmara Dominczyk (Priscilla’s mother, Ann Beaulieu), Tim Post (Vernon Presley), and Lynne Griffin (Grandma Dodger). Check out the details in my parents guide movie review.
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Priscilla Movie Quotes
Priscilla Parents Guide
In Priscilla: When teenager Priscilla Beaulieu meets Elvis Presley at a party, the man who’s already a meteoric rock ‘n’ roll superstar becomes someone entirely unexpected in private moments: a thrilling crush, an ally in loneliness, and a gentle best friend.
Priscilla Age Rating Parents Guide
Let’s take a look at what concerned parents need to know about the age ratings of the series before letting their younger children watch Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla.
Language: Priscilla the movie contains some brief, strong language. Lookout words include f*ck (used twice), a**, and g-d d*mn.
Mature Content: The biggest lookout in this Priscilla’s parents guide is the drug abuse the film contains. An underage Priscilla is given pills to stay awake and sleep, which had her knocked out for two days of sleeping. Characters are also shown taking LSD and experiencing hallucinations due to the drug. There are also moments of abuse shown when Elvis hits Priscilla hard with a pillow and throws a chair at her, almost hitting her. The film does not contain sex scenes or any nudity, but there is a scene in which characters are shown taking “sexy” photos in revealing lingerie. Elvis gives Priscilla a gun, and the couple is shown shooting the gun at targets and matching outfits with the guns that reflect the time period. Characters are also shown drinking alcohol. smoking cigarettes, and gambling in Las Vegas.
Age Rating of the Movie Priscilla Age Rating: A24’s Priscilla movie rating has an R rating by the Motion Picture Association of America – MPAA ratings – for drug use, and some language and the parental guidelines advisory recommends it for a mature audiences, an older audience, an adult audience, young people, young adults, older children, and teens aged 17 years and older. The suggestion of parental guidance or a legal guardian (adult guardian) for this restricted R movie category is highly suggested for young children, young kids, and younger viewers under 17 years of age in this R-rated motion picture for adult material. The minimum age recommendation is 17 years old.
Overall Thoughts
Priscilla is a biopic of the life and story of Priscilla Presley, the ex-wife of Elvis Presley whom he met as a teenage girl, directed by Sofia Coppola. The film is based on Priscilla’s own memoir, Elvis and Me, and stars Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla and Jacob Elordi as Elvis. Spaeny’s Priscilla, a naive and young girl who is swept off her feet by the older and more experienced Elvis after they met in West Germany on a U.S. Army base while he was serving his military service, is both tragic and heartbreaking. The little girl, a 14-year-old daughter of an Army captain, was the envy of all American teen girls, yet she was introduced to a toxic life of grooming, drugs, and isolation, all because her first love was Elvis Presley.
Jacob Elordi is excellent as Elvis in Priscilla, capturing the singer’s charisma and sex appeal, as well as his darker side. One of the things that makes Elordi’s performance so effective is his ability to convey Elvis’s inner turmoil. Elvis was a complex man, and Elordi does not shy away from showing his flaws. For example, in one scene, Elvis is shown having a violent outburst after a disagreement with Priscilla. Elordi’s performance in this scene is both disturbing and heartbreaking.
Coppola takes a unique approach to the biopic genre, telling Priscilla’s story from her own perspective. The film is more interested in exploring Priscilla’s inner life than in providing a chronological account of her love story with the King of Rock.
Priscilla is a beautifully shot film with a dreamy and atmospheric aesthetic. Coppola makes excellent use of color and light to create a sense of both wonder and unease. She uses her signature style to create a portrait of a woman who is both vulnerable and strong. The film is shot in a soft, pastel palette that reflects Priscilla’s innocence and optimism. Coppola also uses close-ups to capture Priscilla’s emotional journey, from her early infatuation with Elvis to her eventual disillusionment with their marriage. It’s well-edited and paced, with a slow-burning intensity that builds to a heartbreaking climax.
One of the most striking aspects of Coppola’s directing in Priscilla is her use of music. The does not include any album covers of Elvis Presley songs; instead, the soundtrack will be anachronistic, much like Coppola’s film, Marie Antoinette. The music also serves to highlight the emotional beats of the film, such as Presley’s version of Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On, and it is particularly effective in scenes of a solitary Priscilla, depicting her loneliness and isolation.
Much of the film’s music will be provided by Coppola’s husband Thomas Mars, and his pop-rock band, Phoenix. Featured in the film is a cover of Frankie Avalon’s Venus from the band, which plays as Priscilla and Elvis first meet, becoming Priscilla’s theme throughout.
Another key element of Coppola’s directing style is her use of silence. Coppola is not afraid to let her scenes play out in silence, and she uses this to create a sense of tension and suspense. For example, in one scene, Priscilla and Elvis are sitting in silence after a heated argument. The silence is palpable, and it conveys the depth of the rift between them.
Overall, Priscilla is a well-made and thought-provoking biopic that offers a fresh perspective on the life of one of the most famous women in the world. It is a must-see for fans of Sofia Coppola and Priscilla Presley, as well as anyone interested in a nuanced and complex portrayal of female experience.
