'Elvis & Nixon' A Review

Elvis & Nixon is a historical dramedy about the 1970 meeting between Elvis and Tricky Dick. The movie opens on Elvis(Michael Shannon) watching TV in Graceland, he becomes perturbed by the news and sets off to offer his services to the President as an agent-at-large to help fight the drug war and combat communists. He reenlists his old friend and former handler Jerry(Alex Pettyfer) to make it all happen. They travel to DC and after some bureaucratic back and forth Elvis meets Nixon(Kevin Spacey).

Shannon as The King is bizarre, funny, layered, and at one or two points effectively poignant. He does not do an Elvis impression but imbibes the performance with the mercurial essence of the legendary star rather than affectation. Shannon, as always, is indelibly watchable bringing verve, nuance, and a liveliness to a portrayal which has become, typically, mere caricature. Spacey is playful as the oft maligned president, the turn is almost like a lighthearted version of House of Cards' Underwood, but he doesn't offer anything beyond the surface. Pettyfer as the audience stand-in is snooze inducing and pointless, with Elvis and Nixon as the titular characters Pettyfer's Jerry is completely disposable and Pettyfer's performance does nothing to refute that. He may be a great model for Ralph Loren but his acting go-to seems to be inexpressive and barely conscious.

The story leaves a lot to be desired, the subject matter would be more appropriate for a short film rather than a feature. Other than the meeting referenced in the title, which lasts for ten minutes and is then dragged out another five, everything before is simple and protracted build up. The ancillary characters are not only uninteresting the performances are uninspired. It would utilize both Shannon and Spacey better, and be more interesting, were they to share more screen time. There is also a noticeable lack of the cinematic, whether because of budget constraints or this being Amazon's sophomore feature, the movie does not require and is not heightened by the big screen. The experience would not suffer, may even be better, at home.

Worth watching for Michael Shannon's Elvis alone.

Rent It.