Elvis - Loving You (DVD)

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Liked it
Characters / Performances	Satisfactory
Soundtrack	Outstanding
How does it compare to similar films?	Good

Advantages:	Elvis singing, great music and honest story
Disadvantages:	Elvis's acting is slightly wooden

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

●●● Synopsis ●●●

Deke Rivers (Elvis Presley) is a delivery boy in a small town in Texas. One day he is persuaded to take the mic and sing at an election rally, becoming an instant hit with the crowd. A publicity agent spots the talented young man and offers him the opportunity of hitting the road with a cowboy band she represents. As the band and Deke perform across the county his Rock n Roll songs gain more and more fans, in particular a female singer who performs with the band. The agent realizes that in Deke she has a pot of gold, and does anything to manipulate him, and those around him, to do what ever she wants.

●●● Opinion ●●●

For those who remember Elvis Presley before he got hooked on burgers and drugs and became the bloated Las Vegas showman, this is a sheer pleasure. We get to watch a young Elvis strut his stuff and woo us with his wonderful songs. The actual story loosely relates to Elvis's own rise as undoubtedly the most famous singer in history. It is also a joy to watch a good old-fashioned film, which doesn't rely on action, violence, special effects, swearing or any other modern traits of filmmakers to keep you entertained. The film also reflects on the initial disapproval of the older generation when Rock n Roll started to make it big. Although there is a love story theme, it really is not the driving force of the plot and we are left to enjoy the musical ride.

The main character in the film is Deke Rivers played by Elvis Presley (Love Me Tender), a delivery driver boy who is manipulated into becoming a famous Rock n Roll Star. This was only Elvis's second movie and his lack of acting experience shows, but he makes up for it with his singing, where his talent really shines. Although this was basically a vehicle for Presley, the real star of the film was Lizbeth Scott as Glenda Markle the bands agent. She portrays the manipulative agent brilliantly but also shows her weaker side when Rivers realizes that she has been manipulating him. Fortunately the majority of the acting scenes in the film involve her, other wise this could have been a very painful movie. There are some reasonable performances from the rest of the cast, which includes Dolores Hart and Wendell Corey.

Hal Kanter directs the film and he has done a very good job of capitalizing on the young Elvis's singing rather than his acting ability. The thing you have to remember is that this film is nearly 50 years old and filmmaking was totally different back then as it is now. Scenes where they are driving along in cars are quite funny compared to today's standard and the one fight scene is very theatrical and posed. As you would expect, the sound track to this film is nearly all Elvis. We get to hear such songs as Teddy Bear, Party, Got a Lot of Livin' to Do, Hot Dog, Mean Woman Blues and of course the title track Loving You. Even for someone who is not an Elvis fan, there is at least one song in the film that you will recognize.

●●● Summary ●●●

Even now Elvis's song and films are still as popular as ever, and I will speculate that for many years to come he will carry on gaining more and more fans. Although his acting ability in this film is a bit wooden, it should not spoil what is basically a vehicle to show boat his musical talents and sex appeal. With a reasonable story and good performances from the other cast members, this is an enjoyable nostalgic film. Part of the beauty of this film is in its purity, there are no special effects to dazzle you and you are left to enjoy the music, performance and story. I doubt there are many films created in the last 25 years, which could keep you entertained without using special effects, violence and other modern traits. I would recommend this to anyone who likes Elvis or who just wants too watch an honest, entertaining film.

●●● Price & Availability ●●●

Amazon.co.uk: £5.99

●●● Technical Details ●●●

Certificate: U
Duration: 101 mins
Year of Release: 1957
Genre: Drama, Musical

Director(s): Hal Kanter
Writer(s): Herbert Baker, Hal Kanter

Cast: Elvis Presley, Lizabeth Scott, Wendell Corey , Dolores Hart, James Gleason, Ralph Dumke, Paul Smith, Kenneth Becker

© Christianfilmcritc February 2006