The new biopic of Elvis Presley has attracted generally positive reviews, with many critics praising actor Austin Butler's portrayal of the singer.
The movie, which is directed by Baz Luhrmann, has premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
The Wrap said Butler "throws himself into the performance", and Total Film predicted an Oscar nomination.
But Vanity Fair said Butler is "the only thing that works" while IndieWire called the film "deliriously awful". The Telegraph's Robbie Collin awarded the film four stars, writing: "Yes, it's a bright and splashy jukebox epic with an irresistible central performance from Austin Butler.
"But in that signature Luhrmann way, it veers in and out of fashion on a scene-by-scene basis: it's the most impeccably styled and blaringly gaudy thing you'll see all year, and all the more fun for it."
In another four-star review, Kevin Maher of the Times said Elvis is "easily Luhrmann's best movie since Romeo + Juliet".
"The power in the musical numbers is drawn from Butler's turn but also from Luhrmann, who edits with the kind of frenetic rhythms that are almost impossible to resist (feet will tap)," he said.
"They are the spine-tingling highlights that make the entire project a must-see movie."
The Independent's Clarisse Loughrey praised Butler's performance, writing that the actor "makes a compelling argument for the power of Elvis, at a time when the musician's arguably lost a little of his cultural cachet".
"Butler has the looks, the voice, the stance and the wiggle nailed down, but what's truly impressive is that indescribable, undistillable essence of Elvis-ness - magnetic and gentle and fierce, all at the same time," she said.
Tom Hanks stars in the film as Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, who also narrates the story.
Elvis hits the screens next Thursday.
[Source : BBC]
