10. “Elvis”

To call the decision to make Tom Hanks’ con man Colonel Tom Parker the narrator of an Elvis Presley biopic polarizing is putting it mildly. It is the single biggest element of all this year’s Best Picture nominees that simply does not work, even overshadowing how the Baz Luhrmann film looks back at the King of Rock n’ Roll’s relationship to the Black community through distinctnyl rose-colored glasses.
The musical biopic, which happened to be the most successful original film of last year, making over $150 million at the box office, falls right in line with the rest of the Australian director’s epic oeuvre — for better and worse. If one is a Luhrmann fan, they are likely to point to the film’s impeccable craftwork and real sense of showmanship as high points. But, iff his filmmaking style does not work for you, little things like the anachronistic music cues may be a bother.
All that said, like he has done before with Leonardo DiCaprio in “Romeo + Juliet,” or Nicole Kidman in “Moulin Rouge,” Luhrmann unlocked something within rising star Austin Butler that transformed him into one of Hollywood’s most exciting new leading men — accent and all. —MJ