This film details Priscilla Presley’s courtship and marriage to Elvis Presley, starting when she meets him at age 15 living in Germany with her parents. His creepy obsession with her develops into their eventual nuptials, but we know from her book that he treated her like a dress-up doll with very specific guidelines for her presentation. As for Elvis’ POV, Jacob Elordi doesn’t look or sound much like the real thing and lacks much charisma (there’s also none of his music). In the title role, Cailee Spaeny effectively transitions from innocence to miserable to determined. Writer/director Sofia Coppola has obsessed over the details of Priscilla’s rise and fall with lovely wardrobe and cool cars. Even thought there’s some mean treatment and sad outcomes, there’s never much emotional connection, rendering the whole affair (pun intended) sad. It’s especially distracting that she chose to shoot the entire picture with a dark overtone that makes it hard to see faces…even the poolside scenes are moody. I guess Coppolla is trying to emphasize the dreary aspects of the relationship, but her focus on the exterior elements ultimately makes Priscilla’s story sympathetic but flat. 
(2.5 / 5)