Review: Burlesque

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Genre: Musical Drama
Directed by: Steve Antin
Staring: Cher, Christina Aguilera, Alan Cumming, Cam Gigandet
Released: November 24th, 2010

THE GENERAL IDEA

Ali (Christina Aguilera) is a small-town girl with a big voice who escapes hardship and an uncertain future to follow her dreams to LA. After stumbling upon The Burlesque Lounge, a majestic but ailing theater that is home to an inspired musical revue, Ali lands a job as a cocktail waitress from Tess (Cher), the club’s proprietor and headliner. Burlesque’s outrageous costumes and bold choreography enrapture the young ingenue, who vows to perform there one day.

THE GOOD

Let’s just start with the obvious. The Music in this movie is its absolute strength. The costumes, the lingerie, the risque dance sequences and musical numbers. All solid. Amazing stuff. I would watch the film again in a heartbeat just to relive those moments. Though more of a Cabaret than Burlesque, but that’s just splitting hairs.

Christina Aguilera is a flawless performer and it is staggering to see that powerful voice come out of such a tiny frame. Her stage presence and pop career is duely deserved even if you don’t care for her music. She is a true vocalist. Normally I am against popstars as actors, but Christina is playing a performer, and that is what she is. I don’t know that there is much acting here.

Stanley Tucci once again just steals any scene he is in for no reason other than he is Stanley Tucci. Every last ounce of charm is wrung out in spades, and Cher as he best buddy and collegue works so well. Tucci can bring out the best in anyone. Cher also works her take-no-crap personality so well and stands her ground. Its good to see her on the screen again.

THE BAD

I was disappointed that Alan Cummings didn’t steal his scenes as he deserves to. This is his stage and his strength. I was delighted to see him as a supporting cast member in this and while his performing is good, it wasn’t great. And I will always have a soft spot for Kristen Bell, but honestly in this she was just ok.

Christina overcompensates for her lack of acting ability by being just plain beautiful and she blows you away with that voice. I wish I could say this movie puts her on the map as a true actor, but as much as she wasn’t terrible, she wasn’t great either. This would be passable if she was a supporting character, but not as a lead.

OVERALL

Incredibly fun movie to watch, and they deliver the emotional highs and lows on queue without any twists or surprises. Some mediocre acting is the worst part of the movie, but the rest delivers in spades.

I had a lot of fun with this movie, so its hard to say anything bad about it, but I still can’t say its perfect.

I give Burlesque a 8 out of 10