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A Major Disappointment

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

If you can get past the ghastly appearance of Michael Shannon as Elvis, this isn't really a bad film. The brief real-life meeting of Elvis Presley and Richard Nixon turns into a whimsical look at both men, with lots of humor, some great period music, and some surprisingly poignant character moments featuring both American icons. I have nothing but respect for Michael Shannon. In a show like BOARDWALK EMPIRE, where he plays the rigid, fanatical, psychotic Federal Agent Nelson Van Alden, he's absolutely mesmerizing. But casting Michael Shannon as Elvis is like casting Boris Karloff as Rudolph Valentino. Shannon's Elvis is a ghastly-looking creature with a fake black wig that looks like it just died on the top of his head. And yet the first half hour of the movie is nothing but an endless procession of pretty girls blushing and fainting at the mere sight of him. It really starts the movie off on the wrong foot. On the other hand, Kevin Spacey is surprisingly effective as Richard Nixon. The movie has enormous fun playing with the double-sided fish out of water concept. Nixon is tough and confident when dealing with hard issues like war, politics, and money, but almost childishly insecure about his looks and sexuality. Elvis is completely at ease with his sex appeal and celebrity but almost childishly eager to prove himself as a "grown man."The real strength of this movie is that its best moments really are built on the way these two great heroes get to know each other. It's amazing that in real life they only spoke for fifteen or twenty minutes, but the movie makes you feel as if they're getting to know each other over a period of weeks. I loved when Nixon had a long speech by himself about how good-looking guys always make fun of him and how he hates them, yet when Elvis tells him he's not that bad looking he's incredibly flattered. By the same token, when Elvis talks about how much he has to offer as a "Federal Agent at large" you can see how Nixon goes way out of the way not to hurt his feelings, even as his face shows he realizes Elvis is really out there. While both the leads are incredible in this film, it's interesting that the younger men really steal the show at times. Colin Hanks as Bud Krogh and Alex Pettyfer as Jerry Schilling are both completely likable and believable in the role of loyal followers who try to help their heroes while carving out their own identities. If you can get past the awful casting of Michael Shannon as Elvis, there's a lot to enjoy about ELVIS & NIXON.

It is a pretty surreal film in many ways. Elvis dreaming of becoming an undercover agent? Two historical figures' incidental meeting becoming a bigger than life story? It is bizarre. But it works as a strange farce, and it works even better as a meditation on celebrity. I wish that it had transcended those quirky little funny moments into a cohesive story, but it worked pretty well anyway.

This is a fictional account of the historical meeting of the King and the President.Kevin Spacey wasn't a good cast for Nixon and Michael Shannon was the worst Elvis I have seen since that Chinese guy in that "Ghost Tribe" film. They both looked like fools. It looked like they wanted to make a camp film, but then got cold feet and attempted to make it into something normal. I think the film would have worked better with an all Japanese cast and subtitles. Works as an MST feature.Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

This film almost passed me by until I stumbled across it on Amazon Prime. From the 'in period' opening credits to the bad wigs to the bro's in the coffee shop the cheese is strong and thick, but it's a very enjoyable film whichever way you approach it. Michael Shannon (who was completely new to me) neither looks nor sounds like Elvis but somehow fills the role very well, exposing a rather sad, isolated individual who just wants to be noticed for something other than being 'The King'. But the film is stolen IMO by Kevin Spacey, who captures ol' Tricky Dicky perfectly - the growling voice, the stoop, the hand gestures. Not only that, but he injects a wry wit to his part which goes a long way toward lifting this movie out of a dullness which threatened to engulf it at several points. I could easily watch it again.