Academy Award-winning Sofia Coppola is a legacy filmmaker in every sense of the word. And I mean that in a good way. Her father is the celebrated screenwriter-director Francis Ford Coppola (“The Godfather” and “The Godfather Part II,” of course), and her mother, Eleanor Coppola, is a writer and director in her own right.
In fact, Eleanor has chronicled the making of movies by both Francis and Sofia. Her most famous feature-length documentary is the “Heart Of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse,” which is about the making of her husband’s “Apocalypse Now.” She has also directed two fictional narrative features, “Paris Can Wait” with Alec Baldwin, and “Love Is Love Is Love” with a cast of notable actresses. I like all three of her films, which are available through streaming. Eleanor has also written two books: “Notes On The Making Of Apocalypse Now” and “Notes On A Life.”
Additionally, Sofia’s cousin is Academy Award-winning actor Nicolas Cage and her grandfather is the Oscar-winning composer Carmine Coppola. Sofia’s aunt is the Academy Award-nominated Talia Shire, who was married to Buffalo musician David Shire, and her cousin is actor-writer Jason Schwartzman. Additionally, her brother Roman Coppola is a producer and screenwriter and her niece Gia Coppola wrote and directed “Palo Alto.” Sofia does have quite the family tree.
The movies Sofia creates are more often than not about young women interested in men more powerful then they are, or fascinated by the appeal of the male gaze, or sometimes caught in a web created by controlling men. My favorites of her nine features are “The Virgin Suicides,” “Lost In Translation,” “Somewhere,” and “On The Rocks.”
Sofia’s new movie, “Priscilla,” is about the shy young girl who became part of legendary singer Elvis Presley’s steamrolling orbit. For many teen and tween girls, Presley was a fantasy figure. Regarding 14-year old Priscilla Beaulieu, he might have been the ultimate father figure. In 1959, during the period when 24-year-old Presley was performing his military service in Germany, her stepfather, a captain, was also stationed there.
A chance encounter results in Priscilla getting invited by another older, albeit married, member of the military to a party at the house where Elvis is living. Her parents object at first, but after assurances are made that she will be safe, they end up allowing her to attend. After Elvis first sees the shy and pretty Priscilla, there’s not a shadow of a doubt that he’s already planning her life. He asks whose music she listens to. She says, in order, Bobby Darin and Fabian before mentioning him in third place. Presley loves this.
Coppola has generated a visual fantasy of a teenage girl’s life about to change radically, certainly something beyond her wildest dreams. The director prefers scenes shot in soft focus. Tightly framed moments capture her characters bathed in warm shadows. It’s a cocooning effect. There is the sensation of Priscilla being embraced at the party. Coppola does not judge the ten-year age difference, which would turn many parents apoplectic. She is establishing the hallmarks for what is almost an ethereal ride through myth, music and marital history.
Coppola, who wrote the screenplay based on Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir “Elvis And Me: The True Story Of The Love Between Priscilla Presley And The King Of Rock N’ Roll,” calmly nestles her audience into the era of Aqua Net and big female hair, exaggerated eyeliner, and pink shag carpeting.
Eventually, Elvis returns to the United States and his singing and acting career. He has not forgotten Priscilla, and she, still in Germany and still quite young, gets invited to visit Elvis for two weeks. Her parents again acquiesce. Being starstruck knows no age limit. Priscilla will be safe. After all, Elvis’s beloved grandmother will be somewhere in the background, especially at Graceland
The grooming of Priscilla begins. She and Elvis will be chaste. There will be kissing, but no sex. Eventually they’ll get married. His team respects the rules. As time quickly passes – indicated with calendar pages being torn – Priscilla will live at Graceland and complete her education at a Catholic girls school. Are the nuns also complicit in the melodrama being played out? They want his autograph, too. Elvis’s beloved and kindly grandmother will be somewhere in the background, especially at Graceland. As will the five playful yes-men known as the Memphis Mafia. They will protect Priscilla should she need protecting. They’re around when she learns to shoot a pistol. They’re around when tensions rise. Again, nobody judges anyone.
The clock ticks and the passage of time continues – we follow empty food trays and polaroid photographs. Elvis and Priscilla get married on May 1, 1967 in Las Vegas. Eventually, young Elvis’s drug use (shared with Priscilla) and the numerous affairs with his female Hollywood co-stars (one epic publicity brouhaha involves actress Ann-Margaret) generate fractures in paradise. But, was it really ever paradise?
Coppola is a master at exposing the loneliness and isolation Priscilla feels, especially when her husband is not at Graceland. It doesn’t seem to matter whether or not he’s making films or performing in concerts — the movie has very little of his music. Even when they’re together, they seem apart. Elvis’s anger can be instantaneous and volcanic; however, his love for Priscilla generally calms him down.
The screenplay gives the audience the idea that Priscilla was a favorite toy the wealthy Elvis enjoyed. He always loved her. But, what did he actually love? Cailee Spaeny is outstanding as Priscilla. You can literally feel the teen dream fading away. Jacob Elordi is very good as the mercurial Elvis, a famous person who always expects to get what he wants when he wants it.
The movie is about a woman feeling trapped. Elvis is a man-child, which means Priscilla will have to decide when her astonishing life with him is over. The bird in the gilded cage will have to make the decision to free herself.