PICK OF THE MONTH
6 OF THE BEST
Team Empire on the month’s essential movies and TV
ELVIS
OUT 19 SEPTEMBER / CERT TBC / 159 MINS
Other than John Carpenter’s 1979 TV movie, which introduced him to Kurt Russell, Elvis Presley biopics have been markedly thin on the ground. Thankfully, Baz Luhrmann has rectified that with this thrilling, pulsating whizz through Presley’s life, as seen through the eyes of his conniving manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks, cackling like a panto villain). Yes, Luhrmann has made his film again — afeverish intro overloads the audience before slowing down to find the emotional centre — but when it’s this good, when the music is presented so vitally, and when it’s anchored by a starmaking turn by Austin Butler that deserves to be remembered come Oscar-nominations time, who’s complaining? CHRIS HEWITT