“He jokes easily enough with his colleagues, but what does Presley think and what is he really like?” The film offers occasional glimpses at the inner Elvis. We hear him voice concern over the family situation of a former employee, and seeing his nervousness prior to curtain time is a nice human touch
At the time of its release, Elvis Presley’s 1970 album That’s the Way It Is was generally perceived as simply the latest in a series of comebacks by the King. The album is an odd hybrid of live recordings and studio work linked to a big Vegas show; it’s also magnificent. Drawing inspiration from the Kris Kristofferson singer-songwriter movement that was encroaching on Nashville in the early Seventies, That’s the Way It Is may be Presley’s most grown-up collection of songs: Love affairs are negotiated around unpaid bills and babies crying at 6 a.m.
