‘Elvis and Nixon’ – Michael Shannon as Elvis Thank You Very Much Ladies and Gentlemen

Starring: Michael Shannon, Kevin Spacey, Alex Pettyfer, Johnny Knoxville, Colin Hanks, Evan Peters, Sky Ferreira, Tracy Letts, Tate Donovan, Ashley Benson
Genres: Comedy, History
Directed By: Liza Johnson
Studio: Bleecker Street Media/Amazon
MPAA Rating
R

I agree it’s out of the ordinary that a rock icon and a President met in the White House Oval Office. I don’t agree it was extraordinary enough to make a feature-length film, Elvis and Nixon, about the meeting. Only the cast is impressive but their talent is wasted on a piss poor script.

On other matters, the casting is not even remotely fitting. Kevin Spacey doesn’t have the demeanor nor the voice of Nixon and Michael Shannon as Elvis is about as arresting as his one Karate move he shares a few times.

This is an Amazon film that many critics are shocked was made at all. It was a ridiculous way to spend a couple of hours but there is nothing clever or shocking to share about it. Can I just ask why was Michael Shannon, one of my favorite actors, playing a supposed based on a true story narrative of Elvis? These guys belong together in a Superman movie but not this.

I really can’t recommend this film. Whatever it set out to do was a mystery so I can’t say it achieved its goal. If this is the quality we are to expect from Amazon films, I’ll be wary of what I select.

Author: Damien Riley

Damien Riley is a singer-songwriter from the High Desert of Southern California, known for his original music, books, a blog, and the podcast "Riley on Film". He is currently seeking West Coast venues for live concerts and stand-up routines. View all posts by Damien Riley