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Sofia Coppola's "Priscilla" is a movie that fits neatly within her filmography. It's a lushly photographed exploration of themes Coppola has waded into in her previous movies, and to find connective tissue from movies that came out 10-plus years before her latest shows she is a director with a distinct voice. Her last film, "On the Rocks," feels like an asterisk in her career, a forgettable movie lost to the year 2020, so "Priscilla" is a narrative return-to-form for the writer-director.

As a filmmaker, Coppola has always been interested in the inner workings of women who feel trapped or isolated. Whether it's Scarlett Johansson wandering around Japan in "Lost in Translation" or Elle Fanning at the Chateau Marmont in "Somewhere," Coppola has created a career out of observing her characters through her lens.

"Priscilla" is no different. The movie follows young Priscilla Beaulieu (Cailee Spaeny), a high school student who catches the eye of superstar Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi) at a party. He gravitates toward her and finds comfort in talking to such a meek and innocent figure and hopes to see her again. A few more conversations at parties leads to Priscilla visiting Elvis at his Graceland mansion and eventually moving in, and the two get married. It all happens so fast for Priscilla, with merely a raised eyebrow from her otherwise very strict father.

The movie charts their relationship and the expected ups-and-downs of a marriage with a power imbalance. Priscilla is enchanted by Elvis, as most teenage girls were at the time, but the movie shows that Elvis is just as enchanted by her. But, as they get more comfortable in their relationship, Elvis becomes more domineering in every aspect of Priscilla's life. He tells her how to do her hair and makeup, what she should wear, and how she should feel about the tabloid headlines that splash the front page of every paper when he's on the road making movies. She's forced to just take it all in.

The central relationship was undoubtedly a whirlwind for Priscilla, but conveying it through a movie leaves the film a bit stilted. Coppola's affection for Priscilla is apparent and her approach is respectful, but the movie winds up feeling like it's checking boxes more than telling a story (Coppola adapted the screenplay from Priscilla Presley's book, "Elvis and Me.") There isn't a smooth pace to the movie, which just jumps from one timeline event to another, repeating cycles of the relationship throughout. It's tough to criticize because, at times, it feels like that's the point Coppola is trying to make, but it doesn't always make for the most engaging movie.

Spaeny, who picked up the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival for her work here, plays Priscilla with a requisite naiveté, but her performance sometimes feels so small, especially in the shadow of Elordi's Elvis. Again, it's paradoxical because Priscilla probably felt small standing next to Elvis, but it makes Spaeny's performance feel limited at times.

Coppola doesn't play for big emotions because she's interested in the interiority of her characters. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't; to be effective, the story has to support such an approach. In "Priscilla," playing small with such a major moment in someone's life doesn't result in a dramatically rewarding movie.