Review: BURLESQUE

Ok, so this is not the Oscar flick of the year… But if you like fun, then you have come to the right place…

It’s your typical story of a small town girl who makes her way to Los Angeles in search of stardom. What isn’t typical about this story is her voice! Ali (Christina Aguilera) has what it takes, she is just looking for her shot. After a long day of searching she wanders into The Burlesque Lounge, and is mesmerized by the lights, and the girls. Now, she has to convince Tess (Cher), the clubs owner that she has what it takes to shine on the Lounge stage. Meanwhile, Tess is faced with the reality that she does not have the funding to keep her precious club open. The two must rely on each other to make their dreams come true.

Ok, so Aguilera is not the best actress out there. Let’s face it, she is far from it! However, people aren’t really coming to theaters to watch her act. The fun of this movie is the musical numbers. Aguilera shines in these scenes. Her showmanship is something that cannot really be argued. They did put some pretty horrible wigs on her though. Kristen Bell plays Nikki, the star of the show with a bad attitude. She lets her ego and drinking ruin her place at the top, and holds Ali responsible. I have always liked Bell, and it was nice to see her in a different role. Julianne Hough was a nice addition, due to her strong dancing. I don’t know how much I really want to see her in other films, but she was a great addition to this cast. Plus, her dancing is quite stunning.

Cher, is in a league all her own. I have always loved Cher! I found myself mesmerized when she sang, and her snarly attitude is highly entertaining. Like I said, this movie is more about musical numbers than it is on story, but Tess is a very like-able character. Maybe I just appreciate a well delivered smart ass. That is quite possible. Either way, I LOVE ME SOME CHER! Also, this isn’t her first rodeo. Cher has starred in a plethora of movies and television shows, so she is no stranger to the big screen. Heck, Cher is no stranger to anything big… just look at her stage show and costumes. (I will see her live one day, dammit!)

There are some great supporting roles in this film as well. Stanley Tucci plays Tess’s best gay friend. It seems appropriate that Cher is accompanied by a gay best friend. even if it is for her character. Peter Gallagher, Alan Cumming, and Eric Dane also make appearances in this film. I must say, Cumming is quite hilarious in his role. He has quite the… interesting… musical number.

I found the soundtrack really enjoyable too! I have been playing it in my car for days. They keep the music fun and highly entertaining. Fuse this with beautiful lighting, talented dancers, and incredible costumes for the stage show and you have a winner. If a place existed like this in St. Louis, it would sell out every night.The only negative part is the Marilyn Manson-Beautiful People sample. Manson and Aguilera DO NOT belong together. It’s like cotton candy and sushi… Both are delicious in their own way, but together they are just gross.

This is the part of my review where I make enemies. I have witnessed a lot of burlesque dancers that are very pissed off at this film. They say that it is not real burlesque and that it is an embarrassment to their art. Now, I have seen a lot of burlesque… some good, some HORRIBLE. One thing that most burlesque (notice I say most, not all) performers are missing is a talent to go along with the removal of their clothes. This is not just specific to my town. The thing I appreciate in this film is that they don’t rely on being naked to make their performance. It is an art, and nudity of some sort generally goes with it, but the nudity isn’t their talent. They are dancing, and singing. The strip tease is just a part of it. (And spoiler, you will not see any nudity in this film). I am just saying, the talent part of burlesque has gotten lost in many of today’s performances due to over-saturation. It’s kind of like DJ’s. Everyone thinks that they are a DJ but only a fraction of them are actually talented in their musical selection/performances. The rest just go through the motions. Exact same thing with burlesque.

So, to sum it up… If you are looking for some fun, then this is the film for you. If you want to be moved to tears, go rent THE NOTEBOOK!

OVERALL RATING: 3.5 out of 5 stars