Elvis & Nixon – Film Review
Director: Liza Johnson
Starring: Michael Shannon, Kevin Spacey, Alex Pettyfer, Colin Hanks and Evan Peters
Release Date: 24 June
Seemingly without any motivation, qualifications or even clear goals, Elvis Presley (Shannon) makes various attempts to meet with President Richard Nixon (Spacey).
The reason given for this… is to obtain status as a special agent.
The titular characters of this film have been so frequently portrayed that it doesn’t take a history expert to know much about either. When someone’s personality becomes so iconic, to the point that any stranger can do an on-the-spot impression of them, then it means they transcend the status of celebrity.
They essentially become a cartoon character.
There are, of course, countless examples of this kind of thing, with Winston Churchill, Christopher Walken, Adolf Hitler and Abraham Lincoln to name but a few.
Elvis and Nixon rank highly in this category, so it’s exciting to know that the two had such a strange interaction at one time.
The issue of portraying such eccentric personalities is that it can easily slip into the world of pantomime. At the same time, the story of this film is the kind that could easily slip into the world of pointed ridicule. The events are very strange and show how disconnected from reality people can become, when placed in positions of power.
Fortunately, Elvis & Nixon straddles this line with enough affection and appropriate satire to make for very comfortable viewing.
While Spacey’s Nixon feels a bit hollow at first, he manages to reign it in shortly after. He shows Nixon as a man of strange mannerisms and conservative views, but also portrays a no-nonsense president of high intelligence.
Shannon is the real star however, showing us the many different aspects of Elvis. Taking up much more screentime than Spacey (a smart storytelling choice), Shannon portrays Elvis with depth. He is a witty charmer, an eclectic showman and, underneath it all, a shy loner who is losing his identity amidst his riches and celebrity fame.
The rest of the cast prove successful too. While Shannon’s is the key performance, it’s Alex Pettyfer’s character Jerry, Elvis’ friend and manager, who has the only satisfyingly rounded-off story in the film. Being one of the more level-headed characters of the piece, this makes sense.
However, it does highlight a minor issue about the film.
While Elvis & Nixon makes for easy viewing, it is something of a shaggy dog story. It doesn’t have much of a conclusion to speak of and leaving a bit of a lopsided story adds to the film’s intentionally odd tone.
And yet, that same odd tone is also very light. It’s a film that would have actually benefitted from leaning into more unusual territory, with its atmosphere and eccentricities. It’s a film with soft themes, but these themes could have been highlighted better. All it would take is a slight increase in the eccentric and, at times, bizarre nature of the events and people concerned.
Still, it is surprising how well Elvis & Nixon does work and how delightfully engaging it is. And delightful really is the key word. While it offers some vague answers as to why this meeting occurred, it quite definitively answers the question of whether it really happened, which can often be hard to believe.
There aren’t many turning points, but there are enough smart details and well-placed comedic set-ups to keep you watching.
As well as this, the film has a nice, smooth pace that makes it an easy watch.
A curious story about what happens when two unusual creatures cross paths, Elvis & Nixon is a light and quirky comedy with great performances and engaging set pieces.
Score: 3/5
Written by Sèamus Hanly
