After watching a Sofia Coppola film I always feel some kind of emptiness inside me. This is also the case with this film.

For those who are not familiar with Sofia Coppola, her work is characterized by the themes: Loneliness and isolation, youth and innocence and outsiders.

The film opens in Germany at a military base where Priscilla Ann Wagner (Cailee Spaeney) and Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi) will meet.

Priscilla is petite, polite and fourteen, when she first encountered Elvis. Fate has it that Elvis, one of the most elusive of stars, has entered her orbit. He is currently stationed nearby serving in the military, and Priscilla is invited to meet him at a party. Elvis is there in the room. “You’re just a baby,” Elvis tells her. “Thanks,” she replies.

The whole reason she meets Elvis Presley is because she is visibly lonely. The reason he gives her wanting to keep seeing her is because he is lonely too. Of course he isn’t; he is Elvis Presley, and he is always attended by a group of admirers, both men and women. Celebrities are lonely, but by surrounding himself with family and old friends, he bathes in their jerk – and Priscilla’s, of course. He must have her too.

That’s how Priscilla, ten years younger than him and still in high school, ends up in his house, a princess in a castle. A bird in a cage. Coppola clearly evokes that metaphor and allows Priscilla to wander through the opulence of Graceland, Elvis’s famous estate, with an air of wonder. Escape is not the goal. But the loneliness quickly overwhelms. Especially if it is not good for Elvis’ PR if there is a girl playing on the grass with her dog, which she got to improve that loneliness. Because Elvis, the biggest rock star in the world with so many female fans, is in a relationship, especially with an underage girl. Of course that’s not possible.

During the film the relationship between the two people changes. Elvis begins to become obsessive with everything around him. And Prosilla is starting to become more and more independent. You see her change from a little girl to a grown woman. A relationship with hassle is bound to fail. And that does happen. Visually, the film is characterized by Visually, the film is characterized by Sofia Coppola’s unique style and aesthetic. Her inner and thoughtful cinematography, characterized by a soft color palette and precise attention to detail, contributes to the mood and narrative depth of the story.

Coppola’s minimalist and understated approach focuses on the essence of the story and the characters’ experiences, excluding them from getting lost in unnecessary visual or narrative embellishments. This minimalism is reflected in the visual language, fashion and design. Fashion plays a crucial role; the carefully chosen costumes and thoughtful set design not only enhance the aesthetic appeal, but also help convey the spirit of the times or the phenomenon of the characters’ personality. The mood and tone in this film is often dreamy and melancholic.

In conclusion, this film, much like my experiences with other Coppola works, ends leaving me with an echoing emptiness. This specific tale of Priscilla and Elvis, steeped in loneliness amidst fame, uniquely underscores Coppola’s ability to draw deep emotional responses through her distinct cinematic lens.