ELVIS & NIXON (Theatrical Release USA 2016)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.1|5.0 Starsìììì

Elvis & Nixon bases itself on a popularly requested picture of Elvis Presley standing and shaking hands with President Nixon in the White House. While Director Liza Johnson endeavors to squeeze every drop from that iconic picture to establish an 86-minute movie, there just isn’t enough storyline for a movie. The film additionally fails because audiences see Elvis as an entertainer, not as a person involved in politics. An icon standing outside audience reference points confuses. It does not allow Elvis to do what he did best and what we loved best—entertain.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Elvis Presley (Michael Shannon) visits President Nixon (Kevin Spacey) to talk with him about the health, safety, and welfare of the United States.

Additional Thanks

Thank You to Director Liza Johnson for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Robert Ogden Barnum, Michael Benaroya, Dave Hansen, Ali Jazayeri, Johnny Mac, Jason A. Micallef, Laura Rister, Amy Rodriguez, Jerry Schilling, Kevin Tent, Byron Wetzel, and Lisa Wolofsky for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Elvis (Michael Shannon), Nixon (Kevin spacey), Jerry (Alex Pettyfer), Sonny (Johnny Knoxville), Krogh (Colin Hnks), Chapin (Evan Peters), Charlotte (Sky Ferreira), John Finlator (Tracy Letts), and Haldeman (Tate Donovan).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. The film makes Elvis Presley appear foolish and irrelevant as he dabbles in a field for which he was not trained.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers