Filed under: Reviews
As campy and clichéd the film is, Christina Aguilera's film debut in 'Burlesque' is not an updated version of 'Showgirls.'
In fact, with the big screen return of Oscar winner Cher, along with the dance choreography and singing by the two leads, the film is really an enjoyable guilty pleasure.
Aguilera stars as Ali, who leaves from Iowa to Los Angeles hoping to make something out of her life. No sooner than she arrives and settles in a motel does she go to the nightclub, 'Burlesque Lounge,' run by Tess (played by Cher).
The minute she walks in and sees the burlesque dancers with their glamorous cleavage bearing costumes and Tess as the headliner, Ali wants in on the action and aggressively campaigns for a job. Through the help of Jack, the bartender (played by Cam Gigante), the best she can land in the spot is serving drinks for the time being. Jack would also help out with a new place for her to crash in when her previous residence was burglarized.
With one dancer pregnant (played by 'Dancing With The Stars' winner Julianne Hough), and another dancer (played by Kristen Bell) who doesn't show up on time, in addition to a real estate developer (played by 'Grey's Anatomy's Eric Dane) looking to buy Tess out of the business, the timing worked out perfect for Ali to be in position to grab the coveted spot she wanted.
When the chance comes for Ali to be in the spotlight, Tess finally notices her potential, but is it enough to save her club and keep Ali from moving to bigger things?
When the movie focuses on the singing and dancing, it rocks. From its initial trailer, one might go into the film thinking this is a reboot to the critically panned 1995 film, 'Showgirls,' starring Elizabeth Berkley.
With Aguilera, we have another starlet making her film debut, but unlike Berkley, the Staten Island comes into the game with some singing credits and accolades, which helps a lot when starring in a musical.
Aguilera looked as every bit of a novice when the film starts, but as she gets more into the singing and dancing; she didn't look lost in the woods when working with the veteran cast members.
In her first film in seven years, it's a welcome relief to finally see Cher do some singing on the big screen. Belting out Diane Warren's new tune, 'You Haven't Seen the Last of Me,' is one of the highlights of the film. Her scenes with Stanley Tucci, who plays her most trusted and gay friend, play off very well, like two old buddies who have worked with each other for years; but Tucci seemed to be channeling the same performance he did for Meryl Streep's 'The Devil Wears Prada.'
'Burlesque' is not without some faults as writer-director Steven Antin couldn't balance out the musical with a clichéd plot. Veteran actors Peter Gallagher and especially Alan Cumming are wasted in thankless roles. At nearly two hours, the film could have used some trimming on some scenes and focus more on the main principals.
Towards the second half of the film, we lose more dialogue to the action sequences, and in a film that's a cross between 'Chicago,' 'Cabaret,' and 'Moulin Rouge,' it actually works for the best.