Under the Spotlight: Cailee Spaeny’s defiant and nuanced performance in ‘Priscilla’
When word got out after the Baz Luhrmann Elvis biopic that there would be a Priscilla counter film, there were mixed opinions. And by mixed opinions, I mean the ugly side of fandom dating back to the 1950s came out to play. Everyone pretty much knows the general story of Elvis and Priscilla Presley’s relationship, for better or for worse, and it’s no secret that Priscilla’s side of the story is often discounted and watered down in favour of keeping Elvis’ heartthrob, can-do-no-wrong reputation alive – despite the fact most knew about his Lothario ways and potential abusive tendencies.
Sofia Coppola, though, sought to give Priscilla her time in the limelight, and with help from the woman herself, and based on her autobiography, Coppola built the plot with star Cailee Spaeny at its core. Priscilla is understated and calm compared to its musical counterpart, focusing on Priscilla from her teenage years when she meets Elvis, through their turbulent marriage and her subsequent life after, only featuring Elvis when absolutely necessary – played superbly by Jacob Elordi.
Not only does Spaeny defy ageing so she can play the role of a 14-year-old as well as a 26-year-old, but she fits into Priscilla seamlessly, so effortlessly that we forget she’s not actually Priscilla. Of course, the exquisite wardrobe choices and styling help on this front, but even outside of her physical appearance, Spaeny embodies Priscilla.
Spaeny’s innocent, sometimes naive performance is completely sincere. We see it in her eyes. The representation of Priscilla in the film is of course edging towards a more helpless persona, making the power imbalance between her and Elvis plain to see, but despite knowing the story is being told from a sympathetic perspective, I’m much more convinced by Priscilla than Elvis.
Priscilla gets angry, sad, elated, the emotional throughout the film, and each one is so well acted by Spaeny, I wonder how long she spent with Coppola and Priscilla herself in order to accomplish it. Her subtle facial expressions and movements show a nuanced understanding of how Priscilla must have felt in particular moments, from meeting Elvis in West Germany to their wedding day and ultimately their break up, and this is the kind of thing that makes the film “right on”, as Priscilla told Entertainment Weekly.
Priscilla isn’t without its flaws, and many see it as a feminist crusade by a nepo baby director, but I would argue a couple of things. Coppola deserves to make a film like this, having made her way in the industry already with iconic films, including Marie Antoinette and Lost in Translation, and if nothing else, the casting of Spaeny demonstrates how a talented lead can negate many of the negatives. Spaeny steals the show.
Whatever your opinion of the film, Spaeny’s performance in Priscilla is undoubtedly one of the best, potentially the best, of 2023. Having earned deserved acclaim for the role, there’s no doubt we’ll be seeing more of this promising actor sooner rather than later – not least in her recent role in Alien: Romulus.
