Burlesque

Well this movie is amazing. The entire feel is Moulin Rouge meets Sex and the city.

From the dances, the costumes, the make up, the hair dos, everything was so freshly daring. The entire look of the movie was so perfect for the entire dramatic effect that this movie required and could easily pull off.

Both the actresses, Christina and Cher, were splendid with their vocals and their acting. Although Cher has been seen on and off the silver screen, this was Chistina's first major venture and she sizzled on screen.

The only pitfall for the entire movie was its very predictable and very sugary story line. There were no real black moments. Maximum it touched was a few shades of gray.

But if you enjoy musicals and have a penchant for dramatics, this is a perfect watch.

I waited a long time to write this review. I liked the film a great deal but I'm not so sure everyone will. It is entertaining in the way of old fashioned entertainment. Other people in the theater I attended liked it a lot also. That was easy to ascertain by the loud comments both during and after the film.

The story, itself, is a little shallow, mainly it's there as a means to fill in the space in between the elaborate musical numbers. However, the story is enough for the vehicle it carries, happy ending and all.

Cher, as the club owner Tess, has top billing but the entire show is undoubtedly Christina Aguilera as country-girl turned burlesque performer Ali. I'm old enough to say that in my life I've seen most of the premiere singing performers of modern times, many in live concert. Little Christina Aguilera is not just in a class by herself. Ms. Aguilera is in another universe, perhaps even another dimension. Her voice has a tonal quality, a power and a range that is nothing short of staggering. But the best part is that she knows how to make fullest use of that magnificent instrument.

Every second that Christina Aguilera is on screen she is absolutely riveting. You can't take your eyes off of her; and not just because she's remarkably beautiful. Here she is in this film, surrounded by a good number of extremely beautiful and talented women, yet they all seem to fade into the background fog when she is on. She has something more than beauty. She radiates raw animal magnetism and positively smolders in some kind of unidentifiable sexual power that just plain overshadows everything around her. In short, this film is well worth watching just for Aguilara's screen time.

If you can tear yourself away from watching Christina, there is more here to see. All the participants turn in great performances. All the dancers surrounding her are talented and wonderful to watch. All together they create very memorable entertainment. Kristen Bell as Nikki and Julianne Hough as Georgia are great but it's Bell who is the surprise. Being so used to seeing her as the usual blonde adornment in romantic comedies she surprised me with her dancing talent. She's really good. And, Hough is a given in a dancing costume; as flawlessly great as she is beautiful.

For me, the performance I enjoyed the most other than Christina's was Stanley Tucci as Sean. Mr. Tucci is a great talent who adds character and charm to everything he does and he won't disappoint anyone here.

I saved any negatives for last and none have anything to do with the cast. I found I didn't like the sound the way it was presented. The techniques they used tended to make the performances almost look like they were all canned/lip synced. I'm sure they thought the vocals had more power the way they did them but it truthfully detracted from the overall presentation.

The decision to make a PG-13 rated film was, no doubt, made to try and capture the kiddie ticket buyers. I honestly feel that if they actually pulled out the stops and made an honest R rated film with a more adult slant it would have been better and more profitable in the long run. To me, trying to make anything called "BURLESQUE" anything other than an adult film just seems ludicrous on the face of it.

In spite of the negatives it's still entertaining. I'll take friends to see it with a clear conscience.

By Bruce L. Jones

http://webpages.charter.net/bruce.jones1/

Cliche ridden and amateurishly written, "Burlesque" still has a talented cast who gives it the "old college try" and does their best to elevate the material. Cher and Stanley Tucci, both usually excellent in their acting roles, really ham it up here, probably because that was the only way they could make their silly dialogue seem somewhat interesting. Christina Aguilera looks like she graduated from the Dakota Johnson school of acting, which isn't saying much. Among the others, Eric Dane does manage to come across with his acting dignity intact, but he is not given enough screen time. The sole saving grace is the dance numbers which are very entertaining. All in all, not a bad movie to sit through while you are eating a long lunch during the weekend. Just whip up a ham sandwhich with lots of spicy mustard, grab a soda pop and a bag of chips, and go for it. The only real way to get through this one.

I can easily summarize this film into short sentences. This film has everything, everything but a plot that is. What you should expect from Burlesque is almost two hours of high powered entertainment. Burlesque is just that, entertaining. If you are going to this film to witness a great storyline unfold don't go see this film. However, if you want to be entertained with great vocals from Christina Aguilera and Cher in addition to great acting from Peter Gallagher, Stanley Tucci, Alan Cummings, and again Cher then this film is a must see. I must say prior to the screening that I attended, I was very apprehensive that I was going to see a product that resembled a "Nine" / "Coyote Ugly" blend of a film, but I was certainly wrong. Burlesque holds itself above the rest of the films in its category. The film obviously cost a lot to produce and I believe that the money was well spent. Cher's performance was excellent. Say what you want about the person, but the actress conveys a confidence level in front of the camera as though she has done this a hundred times. Stanley Tucci is also quite merit worthy in this film. His performance in "Lovely Bones" is still haunting and his role as Cher's right-hand gay best friend/costume designer in this film just shows what incredible range this actor has. The costume design, casting, choreography and set design for this film are also worthy of mention. You can count on this film definitely being nominated in the Best Film in Comedy or Musical category for the Golden Globes in December. This film will also do incredibly well at the box office. I would have no problem watching this film again.

This film is about a small town girl from Iowa who goes to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams of dancing and singing.

"Burlesque" is very enjoyable on many levels. The costumes and sets are dazzling, and the dances are great. The moves are seductive but not erotic, and I commend the choreographers for getting this fine balance right. Christina Aguilera has always been known for her powerful voice, and in "Burlesque" her voice and singing skills are brilliantly displayed.

In some films, the abundance of songs can make the film like an extended music video, or is awkward or forced. In "Burlesque" there is no such problem. The speaking scenes and singing scenes transit smoothly from one another. Another thing I really like about this film is the witty lines, they made me laugh so many times! I never thought "Burlesque" could be so good, I think it should have made a lot more in the box office.