Directed by : Liza Johnson
Written by : Joey Sagal, Hanala Sagal, Cary Elwes
Starring : Michael Shannon, Alex Pettyfer, Kevin Spacey, Colin Hanks
Release Date : April 22, 2016
As it's claimed, of all the famous photos reserved in the United States National Archives, the most requested one is about the day President Nixon met the King of Rock & Roll himself Elvis Presley at the Oval Office of the White House. "Elvis & Nixon" is about that fateful day when this strange meeting occurred. A mixture of facts and fiction, this movie turned out to be more a lighthearted comedy than a full-on historical drama. Of course, a lot of movie goers are probably going to see this more for the performances by Michael Shannon as Elvis and Kevin Spacey as President Nixon.
Honestly speaking, I don't think Michael Shannon looks like Elvis at all, and it was kind of distracting. The man's a great actor, and I believed he acted, talked, and moved like Elvis, but he just didn't look the part. Kevin Spacey isn't unfamiliar with playing United States Presidents, but I really liked his take on President Nixon. He isn't in the movie as often as you might expect however, but he definitely shines through in that fateful meeting. The film does revel in how absurd that meeting is, and it's fun seeing these two titans duke it out on screen so to speak.
I also enjoyed how this movie constantly shows us how the "normal" people react to the mere presence and words of Elvis and President Nixon. The things they say and do can be quite something, and it's hard to say no to those two individuals. There are two other people who really has to deal with that fact, Elvis' long time friend Jerry Schilling; played by Alex Pettyfer, and Presidential Staff Advisor Bud Krogh; played by Colin Hanks. This story highlights those two individuals a great deal as well actually, and their plot are just as relevant to the whole film.
It's easy to say that "Elvis & Nixon" plays more like a TV movie because it's a rather simple and understated direction of the story. With it's great cast and it's an entertaining story, it's still definitely worth checking out.
lovedit ENJOYED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible
