PRISCILLA (2023) Review
Directed by Sofia Coppola
A lot of thoughts after watching Sofia Coppola’s ‘Priscilla.’ But one thing that really got to me is, how will we ever know which are the things that are worth giving up for? Because most of the time, we only get the answer to that when it’s too late.
Cailee Spaeny showed growth in her character as Priscilla. There’s innocence and the want to rebel during her teenage years when her character was introduced. And slowly, Priscilla embraced the idea of being the apple of the eye of one of the icons in music in the world.
A man of power, Jacob Elordi as Elvis Presley may not be presented in his glamorous and eventful life but the story goes more intimate as how he treated the lead character ‘Priscilla’ in his life. You can see and feel his love for her but you can also see and feel how much he loves fame more. While Spaeny is the lead in this film, Elordi makes his presence felt all throughout the movie
It is controversial. There may not have been a term grooming yet during their time but what happened to Elvis and Priscilla definitely can be described as grooming. Yes, there’s love involved, we can see Priscilla and Elvis being intimate, but there’s also one thing that is clear, Priscilla didn’t have much to say with how she wants her life to go.
On the surface, it looks like an ordinary story of a girl who becomes the housewife of one of the biggest music icons in the world. But Priscilla has a lot of restraint, has a lot of battles emotionally which weren’t presented loudly – was she enough for the love of her life? Should she just be a decoration of her husband? Or should she follow her heart and do what she wants? And Spaeny delivered those retraints, she becomes the truth of her character.
‘Priscilla’ presents a sad reality for women not just during her time as the wife of Elvis Presley but until today. Spaeny got the role of a lifetime and she took it with her heart fully.
4 OUT OF 5 STARS
‘Priscilla’ opens January 31, 2024 in Philippine cinemas from CreaZion Studios. Rated PG by the MTRCB.